A field hospital in the Venezuelan state of Mérida has been inundated with casualties following a 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the Andean region early this morning. Local officials report over 200 injured and at least a dozen dead, with numbers expected to rise as rescue crews reach remote villages.
In response, the British government has deployed two mobile medical units staffed by personnel from the UK Emergency Medical Team (UK EMT), a specialised branch of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The units, equipped with surgical facilities and trauma supplies, arrived in Caracas via a Royal Air Force C-17 transport aircraft and were immediately transported to the affected area. A spokesperson for the Foreign Office stated that the deployment was coordinated with the Venezuelan Ministry of Health and is part of a longstanding bilateral agreement on disaster response.
The last significant British medical deployment to Venezuela occurred during the 2018 floods, but this marks the first such response since diplomatic relations were downgraded in 2021. The earthquake struck at 4:17 AM local time, with the epicentre located 15 kilometres southwest of the city of Mérida. The region, known for its mountainous terrain, has experienced landslides that have cut off several communities.
British officials have emphasised that the mission is purely humanitarian and not political, though analysts note the deployment signals a subtle thaw in relations between London and Caracas. The UK EMT teams are expected to remain operational for at least two weeks, depending on needs.
