AmeriCares Continues to Meet Needs of Displaced Flood Victims in Venezuela

AmeriCares Foundation
Friday, 4 February 2000

25,000 pounds of weatherproof tents and water purification units depart today

AmeriCares, the international and national disaster relief organization, announced that it would provide 1,500 flood victims in Venezuela with high-tech, weatherproof shelters. 200 tents departed the port of Miami this morning along with 50 water purification units, capable of producing a total of 60,000 gallons of drinking water every 24 hours. Also included in the AmeriCares shipment were two portable laboratories to test for chemical and biological contaminants in local water sources. The 25,000 pound relief shipment will arrive in Venezuela on Wednesday, February 9. AmeriCares' technical and logistics personnel will work in collaboration with the Cisneros Foundation, the Venezuelan Ministry of the Environment and the Venezuelan National Emergency Committee to alleviate the suffering of hundreds of families affected by the recent natural disaster.

AmeriCares has delivered 130,000 pounds of medical relief supplies to Venezuela since the devastating floods hit the region in mid-December. AmeriCares' first relief airlift, which included approximately 40,000 pounds of essential medicines, antibiotics, nutritional supplements and other relief materials, departed Fort Lauderdale International Airport on December 22, arriving in Caracas later that day. The relief supplies were immediately delivered to hospitals throughout the affected areas. The second shipment arrived December 24 and included an additional 40,000 pounds of medicines, tetanus vaccines and other relief materials. AmeriCares' third airlift, which included 50,000 pounds of additional emergency relief items, departed December 29.

The powerful floods and mudslides that hit Venezuela's northern coastline, killing more than 30,000 people and leaving thousands homeless, continue to wreak havoc on the nation. The flooding destroyed sewage pipes and water treatment plants along hundreds of miles of coastline, causing dangerous levels of sewage pollution. Venezuelan authorities warn that contaminated water supplies pose a serious threat to the coastal population, an estimated 200,000 of which are now homeless. Continued heavy rains have produced further damage and thwarted relief efforts.

Since its inception in 1982, AmeriCares has delivered nearly $3.7 million worth of relief supplies to Venezuela. AmeriCares is registered with the U.S. Agency for International Development (License #A0275), is a licensed drug wholesaler and a licensed DEA Exporter (License #RA0178170). AmeriCares solicits donations of medicines, medical supplies, and other relief materials from manufacturers, and delivers them quickly and reliably to indigenous health and welfare professionals in over 130 countries around the world. Since 1982, AmeriCares has delivered over $2,000,000,000 in life-saving aid. AmeriCares maintains an operating overhead that is less than 2%.

For more information, or to contact AmeriCares Foundation, see their website at: www.americares.org