Donated goods at Sambil
WILLEMSTAD--Donated supplies were collected at mega mall Sambil in Curaçao last Thursday and prepared for transport to Venezuela. The Government is coordinating the collection and shipment of humanitarian aid in cooperation with the Defence Ministry of the Dutch Kingdom and various organisations.
The operation is part of ongoing emergency relief following the recent earthquakes in the neighbouring South American nation. Prime Minister Gilmar Pisas (General Affairs) has tasked the Directorate of Risk Management and Disaster Relief (DRR) with logistics of the efforts.
DRR works with the collection points at Sambil where donations are gathered and subsequently prepared on pallets for transport. The Royal Netherlands Navy and, if necessary, the US Air Force, will handle the transport of the goods to Venezuela, where they will be handed over to the authorities.
According to local authorities, the approach must ensure that aid supplies reach their destination in a safe, legal and targeted manner, aligning with the needs indicated by Venezuela.
Curaçao has taken various support measures since the earthquakes of June 24, including the temporary accommodation of stranded travellers and facilitating procedures to enable the island to function as a humanitarian hub.
Residents and organisations can donate aid supplies via the collection points in Sambil. Financial contributions can be made via the Red Cross to MCB account number 2004.
The government expresses its appreciation for volunteers and organisations contributing to the relief effort and reiterates its solidarity with the Venezuelan community.
In addition to the Netherlands station ship in the region taking relief supplies to Venezuela, Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard aircraft are transporting emergency personnel and humanitarian goods.
The Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence is assisting in the coordination of US-led emergency relief operations from their Forward Operating Location (FOL) at Hato airport. The latter has become an important logistics hub for humanitarian flights carrying rescue teams, medical personnel and supplies to the affected areas.
The Netherlands' contribution forms part of a broader international relief effort involving regional governments and partner nations working to deliver aid as quickly as possible to communities devastated by the disaster.
"Together, we are committed to ensuring that assistance reaches the right locations as quickly as possible," the Ministry of Defence in The Hague said.
Curaçao has emerged as a key staging point for the international response due to its proximity to Venezuela, with local authorities, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United States and humanitarian organisations coordinating the movement of relief supplies and personnel throughout the island.
According to the government, the emergency response is gradually shifting from search-and-rescue operations to longer-term humanitarian assistance. Officials said the scale of the destruction means recovery efforts will continue for an extended period, and Curaçao intends to focus its contribution to supporting this next stage of relief.
Residents wishing to assist are encouraged to donate requested supplies through the collection points established at Sambil Curaçao. Authorities emphasised that donors should consult the official lists of requested items and contribute only those products specifically requested by Venezuelan authorities to ensure aid meets the country's most urgent needs.
The US Consulate General in Curaçao welcomed a high-level American delegation last week as the officials made a stop on the island while travelling from Washington, D.C., to Venezuela. They included Ambassador Lisa Kenna, Executive Secretary of the US Department of State; Caleb Orr, Assistant Secretary for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs; and Thomas Matteo, a KPMG official.
According to the consulate, the delegation was travelling to Caracas, where the officials were to meet with Venezuela's leadership, assess conditions on the ground following the country's recent devastating earthquakes, and oversee ongoing US humanitarian assistance efforts. The delegation was expected to evaluate the humanitarian situation first-hand and monitor the implementation of U.S. relief assistance being provided to affected communities.
Curaçao has served as an important logistical hub for various U.S. diplomatic and humanitarian operations in the Caribbean due to its proximity to the South American nation. The US Cooperative Security Location (CSL) also known as FOL at Hato has become a critical transit point for first responders, rescue teams and emergency supplies being deployed to the disaster-stricken country.
Among the teams that departed for Venezuela from the airbase were US State Department Disaster Assistance Response Teams (DARTs), a 65-member Netherlands Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) Team and an emergency response contingent from Curaçao.
The consulate also reported that heavy-lift cargo planes, advanced tilt-rotor aircraft and helicopters have been operating continuously from the CSL, transporting humanitarian aid provided by the United States and other countries to affected areas in Venezuela.
The operation underscores Curaçao's strategic role in regional disaster response, with the island serving as a staging ground for personnel, equipment and relief supplies.
Since the earthquakes struck Venezuela, Curaçao has supported a wide range of humanitarian initiatives. The Royal Netherlands Navy has carried multiple shipments of emergency supplies aboard HNLMS Groningen, while Curaçao Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) teams have been deployed to assist with search-and-rescue operations. The island has also facilitated humanitarian flights, hosted stranded Venezuelan travellers and coordinated relief efforts through government agencies, the Red Cross and international partners.
Tilt-rotor plane
The American consulate said emergency assistance continues to flow through Curaçao as the multinational humanitarian response remains focused on delivering life-saving aid to communities affected by the earthquakes.
Even the iconic Queen Emma Bridge, better known as the pontoon bridge, was illuminated in the colours of the Venezuelan flag as Curaçao expressed its solidarity with the neighbouring country. The government said the symbolic gesture reflects the island's support for the Venezuelan people during one of the country's worst natural disasters in recent history. Authorities added that Curaçao and its residents stand ready to provide any assistance and support that may be needed.
