00:00Venezuela's Foreign Minister Ivan Hill reported that the Bolivarian government urged the United
00:04Nations member states to release Venezuela's frozen sovereign funds.
00:08Ivan Hill made this announcement during his intervention at a high-level ministerial meeting
00:12on the humanitarian response shared by Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher.
00:18The gathering took place within the framework of Fletcher's working visit to the country,
00:23during which he observed the serious humanitarian situation facing thousands of families, following
00:29the June 24 double earthquakes.
00:31The Venezuelan Foreign Minister detailed that the meeting addressed coordinating an urgent,
00:35effective and dignified response for affected population.
00:39Attendees included the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Venezuela, Gianluca Rampolla,
00:44and other authorities from multilateral agencies.
01:04And as was pointed out to me by the Undersecretary Tom Fletcher, we have 170 countries that are helping us
01:13and that we will continue to need help.
01:34And what we want is to transmit this humanitarian aid that it be like a second area, a second push
01:41to keep on maintaining the humanitarian aid level to continue to
01:47to solve all the problems.
01:51In this context, Venezuela's foreign minister called for the release of the country state funds that remained frozen as a
01:58result of the economic sanctions imposed by the United States.
02:02Y la primera fuente de recursos que tenemos en Venezuela son los recursos propios.
02:12Y aquà queremos hacer un llamado a todos los paÃses que aún tienen bloqueados fondos que pertenecen a Venezuela a
02:23que iniciemos un plan de liberación de estos fondos y que los podamos utilizar en la recuperación.
02:29And I would like to make a call at this moment to all the countries who have our funds that
02:35are outside the country that are blocked and to unblock them so that we can use those funds for the
02:41recovery of the country.
02:44The Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Tom Fletcher highlighted the coordination of the humanitarian response led by the
02:52government of the Bolivarian nation
02:53and the exceptional performance of the rescue teams and the Venezuelan people.
02:58It's really important to note that the key responders in this crisis have been local communities, those who went out
03:07from the first moment to search for their neighbours and their loved ones,
03:12but also the work that the government has done to lead and coordinate the response.
03:20From the first moment, and I was there in Geneva as our team mobilized, I watched them book the seats
03:27on the first planes.
03:28We saw the Swiss team, search and rescue team on that first plane with our team going out to try
03:35to mobilize and coordinate the response.
03:37And since then, we had over 50 urban search and rescue teams from over 30 countries.
03:43The United Nations recognizes also the support that has been mobilized, but reiterates that it is insufficient in this context.
03:50The Assistant Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and the EPA emergency relief coordinator, Indrika Ratwati, reiterated that the earthquakes have
03:59caused casualties and created significant needs.
04:04The earthquakes have resulted in thousands of casualties, generated significant humanitarian needs and require rapid, coordinated and sustained response.
04:14This is reiterated by all the colleagues we have heard.
04:16While we are encouraged by the support, the generous support received to date, with 324.2 million mobilized, this is
04:25less than half the funding required under the original Venezuela Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan.
04:32Indias' permanent representative to the United Nations highlighted his country's solidarity in the face of the emergency in Venezuela detailing
04:39the deployment of specialized personnel, field hospitals and humanitarian aides sent to support response efforts.
04:47Indias' permanent representative, India believes that global challenges demand collective, swift and empathetic action.
04:53True to the spirit, India responded immediately to the tragedy by launching Operation Amistad.
04:58On June 26th, Indian relief missions embarked on a 14,300-kilometer journey to deliver immediate life-saving assistance.
05:06Two aircraft were dispatched carrying a 41-member specialized team of rescue personnel and medical personnel to support search, rescue
05:14and emergency care efforts.
05:15Our humanitarian consignment delivered 30 tons of relief supplies and six tons of medical equipment and medicines.
05:23To provide rapid, self-reliant medical assistance in the most affected areas, we also deployed an Indian Army field hospital
05:30unit equipped with disaster relief pallets alongside two advanced Bhishma portable field hospitals.
05:39For this part, the European Commission for humanitarian aid and crisis management highlighted the crucial role of humanitarian partners and
05:47first responders following the earthquake in Venezuela while calling for continued access and support to the country.
06:02And we have to pay tribute to them, to every first responder, every humanitarian worker,
06:12every partner.
06:14I think that their courage must be really underlined and acknowledged.
06:20As you rightly say, Minister, sadly, the window for search and rescue is closing.
06:26We are now moving into a broader humanitarian phase.
06:30And this means that we must make sure humanitarian organizations can reach everyone in need safely and without obstacles.
06:39Aid workers need visas, relief supplies need clear customs quickly and aid workers must be able to move safely and
06:50cash assistance must resume so families can start rebuilding their lives.
06:55When international partners, local authorities and communities work side by side, this is humanitarian action at its best.
07:07We reach more people faster and more effectively because disasters don't end when the ground stops shaking.
07:17Recovery starts the very next day alongside the life saving work.
07:23Also, Colombia's delegation to the United Nations emphasized the importance of maintaining international cooperation to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches
07:32affected communities effectively.
07:35Colombia refers its commitment to continue working with the government of Venezuela, the United Nations, regional partners and the wider
07:44international community to strengthen coordination and ensure that humanitarian assistance is delivered effectively in accordance with
07:51the need and with the dignity of affected populations at its center.
07:56And with the dignity of affected populations at its center.
07:56See you.
07:56Have a great day.
07:57Bye.
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