The British Red Cross has mobilised an emergency response team to assist Venezuelan migrants deported by the United States into a region devastated by a recent earthquake. The move, condemned by human rights groups, has left hundreds of vulnerable people stranded without shelter, food, or medical care in an area already struggling to recover from the disaster.
According to reports, US authorities deported a group of Venezuelan nationals to their home country, but chose to land them in a zone near the epicentre of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck two weeks ago. The earthquake has levelled thousands of homes, killed over 300 people, and left essential services in ruins. Aid workers on the ground describe scenes of desperation: families sleeping in the open, children suffering from dehydration, and the injured unable to access hospitals overwhelmed by the crisis.
The British Red Cross, working with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, has dispatched a field hospital and a team of specialist doctors, water purification units, and emergency shelter kits. A spokesperson said: "We are witnessing a humanitarian emergency within an emergency. These deportees are being pushed into a situation where even the local population is struggling to survive. We are doing all we can to provide immediate relief."
The US Department of Homeland Security defended the deportations, stating that they were part of routine immigration enforcement and that the individuals had been processed according to standard procedures. However, critics argue that the decision to deport people into an active disaster zone violates international law and basic human decency. "This is a deliberate act of cruelty," said Sarah James, advocacy director at the Refugee Council. "The US is effectively using a natural disaster as a weapon against vulnerable people."
The deportation comes amid rising tensions between the US and Venezuela, with the Biden administration maintaining sanctions against the Maduro regime. But for the deportees, politics offer no comfort. Among them is Maria Gonzalez, a 34-year-old mother of two who fled Venezuela three years ago after her husband was killed in political violence. She was detained by US immigration authorities in Texas and deported within 48 hours. "They put us on a plane and told us nothing," she said by phone from a makeshift camp. "When we landed, there was rubble everywhere. My children are terrified."
The British Red Cross is calling for an immediate halt to deportations into disaster areas and for the UN to investigate the circumstances. The organisation has launched an emergency appeal to fund its response, warning that the situation could worsen as aftershocks continue to rattle the region. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Office said it was monitoring the crisis but had not yet issued a formal statement.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
