Guyana mobilising humanitarian aid for Venezuela; GDF troop to be deployed

The Guyana Government is organising a massive donation drive to mobilise humanitarian aid for the people of Venezuela following Wednesday’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that have devastated the neighbouring country’s capital.

Based on reports coming out of Caracas today, at least 1,430 people have died, and thousands of others are missing and injured after the twin quakes.

Speaking at a briefing this afternoon from State House in Georgetown, President Dr Irfaan Ali revealed that an 8,000-tonne vessel has been mobilised to transport the aid to the neighbouring country.

The humanitarian aid donation drive will run from June 27 to July 1, 2026, and the drop-off location will be at the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) on Woolford Avenue, Thomas Lands, Georgetown.

Aid items

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Civil Defence Commission (CDC) will be on-site 24 hours a day at the drop-off location to receive donated items and packaged them for shipment.

Among the Items Needed:

• Non-Perishable Foods: canned vegetables, beans, fruit, soup, tuna, chicken, dry pasta, rice, oats, cereal, peanut butter, shelf-stable or powdered milk, pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, crackers, granola bars, trail mix, instant noodles, boxed meals, baby food or formula, cooking oil, flour, sugar, salt, spices, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate mix
• Drinking Water
• Personal Hygiene Items: soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, diapers, and other essential hygiene supplies
• Sleeping Items: sleeping mats, blankets, and sheets.
• Lighting and Energy: flashlights, batteries, and solar chargers.

All donated items should be unopened, unexpired, and in good condition. Easy-to-prepare foods and pop-top cans are especially encouraged.

Already, five containers of critically-needed pharmaceutical items have been procured, as well as containers of food items. However, much more is still required to fill the 8,000-tonne vessel that will transport the aid. A second vessel is already on standby if required.

Guyana is also collaborating with other CARICOM nations that are also interested in sending aid to Venezuela. St Vincent and the Grenadines has already mobilised three containers of humanitarian aid for Venezuela.

The aim is to have the vessel depart Guyana on Friday, July 3, 2026, for Venezuela.

According to President Ali, “We are responding to one of the greatest humanitarian needs as a result of a disaster in Venezuela at a scale and magnitude that is unimaginable. As good neighbours, we must reach out… The people of Guyana stand ready to support in whatever capacity we can.” 

GDF deployment

In addition to the humanitarian aid, the Guyanese Leader also disclosed that a GDF contingent is also being mobilised for deployment to Venezuela to aid in the recovery efforts there, as Venezuelan authorities race against time to rescue survivors trapped under collapsed buildings.

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, will be leading and coordinating Guyana’s response and support efforts. Persons interested in making large-scale donations can contact his office, which will be open from today. 

The local private sector, as well as the Guyanese public, is being encouraged to support this cause. 

“This is not an easy task. It’s an intense logistics operation, but we hope to have this done efficiently for our neighbours and the people of Venezuela… We are also a country with a large number of Venezuelan nationals, who work here, who live here, and that community, along with the general Guyanese population, would have reached out and are responding in an unbelievable way,” President Ali noted. 

See below for additional details on the humanitarian aid donation drive: