Vietnam People's Army: Rescuing Venezuelans as if rescuing our own people
WVR - On the night of June 28, a delegation from the Ministry of National Defense, consisting of 82 officers and soldiers from the Vietnam People's Army, along with numerous modern equipment and over 60 tons of relief goods, departed for Venezuela to carry out humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions, demonstrating international responsibility and humanitarian tradition.
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| Major General Pham Van Ty, Deputy Director of the Rescue and Relief Department, General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Chief of the Office of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee, shared in an interview before departure. (Photo: Minh Nhat) |
The powerful earthquake in Venezuela has caused severe damage to people and infrastructure, prompting the international community to urgently deploy humanitarian relief activities. The delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense promptly departed on the night of June 28.
Sharing before departure, Major General Pham Van Ty, Deputy Director of the Rescue and Relief Department, General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Chief of the Office of the National Civil Defense Steering Committee, stressed that immediately after receiving information about the severe earthquake in Venezuela, the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of Defense directed relevant agencies to urgently assess the situation, study Venezuela's support needs, as well as recommendations from the United Nations and international organizations to develop the most practical and effective support plan.
| On the afternoon of June 28, at the mission assignment conference for the forces participating in earthquake aftermath recovery in Venezuela, General Nguyen Tan Cuong emphasised that during the mission, with the spirit of "General in the field", leaders and commanders should actively discuss and resolve issues within their authority; for issues beyond their authority, they should promptly report and seek guidance. "In specific situations, the commander must consult and decide on the optimal plan to handle without waiting for reports and guidance on each matter, as saving a minute can save a life. The commander must decide and take responsibility for their decision...", General Nguyen Tan Cuong stated. |
Based on that, the Ministry of Defense decided to send a delegation of 82 officers and professional soldiers to Venezuela to carry out humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions, including 26 officers and 56 professional soldiers, organized into four specialized units.
All 82 military personnel have strong political will, clearly determined commitment, and responsibility when participating in international missions, ready to perform tasks under any conditions.
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| General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Minister of Defense, encourages officers and soldiers preparing to depart for the mission, on the afternoon of June 28. (Photo: Minh Nhat) |
This is the third time the Vietnam People's Army has deployed forces and equipment abroad for international rescue and relief missions, following operations in Turkey (2023) and Myanmar (2025).
Regarding the search and rescue plan, Major General Pham Van Ty stated that the team will use sniffer dogs from the Border Guard forces to locate and detect potential victims trapped in the rubble. Subsequently, the Engineering Corps and local rescue forces will organize search and rescue operations.
The engineering forces bring along many specialized devices such as image, sound detection systems, through-wall radar, and modern rescue equipment that have proven effective in operations in Turkey and Myanmar. These devices help shorten the time to locate victims, enhancing the ability to save those trapped during the "golden hour".
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| In this mission, the team will enhance the use of sniffer dogs and search forces to shorten the time to detect victims. (Photo: Minh Nhat) |
Alongside search and rescue missions, the medical team, fully equipped with internal and surgical doctors, equipment, and medicine, is always ready to provide emergency care and treatment to disaster-affected residents and the rescue forces themselves.
Notably, Vietnam will support Venezuela with over 60 tons of food, medicine, and essential supplies to meet the urgent needs of people in areas heavily affected by the disaster.
| Early on June 29 (Vietnam time), according to updated figures released by Venezuelan National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez, over 1,450 people have died, 3,150 have been injured, nearly 200 buildings have completely collapsed, and 774 buildings have been severely damaged in two consecutive earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 on the evening of June 24. |
"We are undertaking this mission as a responsibility and obligation, but also as an expression of our country's and people's affection for the people of Venezuela. Through this, Vietnam continues to affirm its position and responsibility towards the international community," Major General Pham Van Ty emphasized.
This is the third time Major General Pham Van Ty has directly commanded forces participating in international relief efforts, but according to him: Soldiers are always ready to go and perform their duties under any conditions.
"With high determination, strong political will, and responsibility, we identify the mission of searching for victims in the rubble in Venezuela as a duty to our own homeland," Major General Pham Van Ty shared.
Compared to previous international missions, this time, the rescue team continues to use equipment that has proven effective, while enhancing the use of sniffer dogs and search forces to shorten the time to detect victims. "The ultimate goal is to find and detect as quickly as possible," Major General Pham Van Ty said.
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| Soldiers are always ready to go and perform their duties under any conditions. (Photo: Minh Nhat) |
Vietnam's deployment of forces to Venezuela continues to affirm the increasingly professional capabilities of the Vietnam People's Army in participating in international humanitarian relief activities. Following the success in Turkey and Myanmar, the Vietnamese rescue forces have gained significant experience in locating people trapped under collapsed structures and effectively coordinating with international rescue forces and the United Nations.
Not only do they carry modern equipment, but Vietnamese soldiers also bring a message of a peace-loving nation, ready to share difficulties with international friends and proactively contribute to global humanitarian efforts.
| The force participating in supporting Venezuela in overcoming the earthquake disaster consists of 82 members (26 officers, 56 professional soldiers), divided into 4 units. The command and agency unit includes 11 people led by Major General Pham Van Ty, Deputy Director of the Rescue and Relief Department, as the head of the delegation. The deputy heads are Major General Nguyen Duy Minh - Deputy Director of the Foreign Relations Department, and Colonel Mac Duc Trong - Deputy Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department. The Engineering Corps' collapse rescue team consists of 31 people (5 officers, 26 professional soldiers) with equipment including victim detection kits in the rubble, cutters, jacks, concrete drills, and other equipment. The medical team consists of 30 people (9 officers, 21 professional soldiers) with full medical equipment, medicine, and supplies to ensure mission execution, including personnel from Military Hospital 103 (Military Medical Academy), Military Hospital 354 (General Department of Logistics - Technology), Military Hospital 105 (General Department of Logistics - Technology). The sniffer dog search and rescue team from Intermediate School 24, Border Guard Command, consists of 10 people (1 officer, 9 professional soldiers) and 8 sniffer dogs. The equipment and goods brought along are estimated at about 88 tons, including both mission equipment and support for Venezuela. Among them, goods used for support and mission include 50 tons of dry food, 1,600 tents, and 15 generators packed in 628 packages. |
