On Friday 26 June 2026, Luxembourg's Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, the Ministry for Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade announced that Luxembourg will contribute to the ongoing humanitarian response following the devastating earthquake in Venezuela.
According to the ministries, the assistance is being provided through the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM).
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs Xavier Bettel and Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden have decided to deploy a two-member team from the Humanitarian Intervention Team (HIT) of the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) along with the the emergency.lu satellite communication system. Their mission will be to restore telecommunications services in the affected region, enabling humanitarian organisations to carry out their work. The telecommunications team is scheduled to depart at 23:00 on Friday aboard a Luxembourg Air Rescue aircraft. The mission is co-financed by the European Union (75%) and the Directorate for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade (25%).
In addition, three HIT experts will reinforce the coordination team deployed by the European Commission to support assistance provided under the UCPM. They are scheduled to depart on the morning of Saturday 27 June on a commercial flight to Rome before boarding a special flight chartered by the European Union.
The initial duration of both missions is expected to be around two weeks.
