Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, on Tuesday witnessed the departure of the Motti vessel from BK Wharf in Kingston, Georgetown, carrying 88 containers of humanitarian relief supplies destined for earthquake-affected communities in Venezuela.
The vessel, provided by the BK Group of Companies, is transporting critical aid, including 300 water tanks, two pieces of earth-moving equipment, pharmaceuticals, food supplies, cleaning materials, and other emergency relief items.
The shipment forms part of Guyana’s national humanitarian response, led by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and supported by several CARICOM member states and the local private sector.
Dr Singh said the initiative reflects a massive national and regional effort to assist Guyana’s neighbouring country during a time of crisis.
“What we see today is not only the mobilization made by the government of Guyana but also contributions made by seven member states of CARICOM. I want, on President Ali’s behalf, to acknowledge the generosity of all those who supported this initiative,” the finance minister said.
He also praised the response from the Guyanese private sector, citizens, and the Venezuelan community residing in Guyana.
“We have on board this vessel earth-moving equipment, pharmaceutical and medicinal supplies, food supplies, including Guyanese rice, cleaning materials and other emergency items typically needed after a disaster of this nature. Venezuela is our neighbour, and the Venezuelan people are our neighbours. So, we consider this to be the least that we could do in this moment of tragedy,” he said.
Dr Singh noted that the vessel is expected to arrive in Venezuela within four days, where the supplies will be coordinated through an international humanitarian relief effort.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, said Guyana’s response was guided by compassion and regional solidarity.
“When your neighbour faces a natural catastrophe, it is only the human thing to do to respond. President Ali committed that Guyana would help, and Guyana has risen to that challenge. The private sector, the Venezuelan community here, and our CARICOM brothers and sisters all came together to fill this massive vessel behind us,” the minister said.
Minister Indar explained that the Motti vessel has a cargo capacity of approximately 1,500 tonnes and that the aid will be delivered in coordination with international partners to ensure it reaches affected Venezuelan communities.
“The need is great, and we are Venezuela’s closest neighbour. This is a testament to Guyana standing firm as a partner during this crisis,” he said.
Additionally, Director General of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel (Ret’d) Nazrul Hussain said the government mobilised relief supplies from across all 10 administrative regions in response to President Ali’s call for assistance.
“Over a little more than a week, we were able to amass a considerable amount of relief supplies amounting to about 88 containers. This became a consolidated CARICOM effort with Guyana taking the lead,” he said.
He disclosed that contributions were received from Grenada, The Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Belize, and Jamaica, alongside significant donations from the Guyanese private sector and the local Venezuelan population.
According to Hussain, the shipment consists mainly of food supplies, medical items, non-perishable goods, water tanks, and the two earth-moving machines donated by Ansa McAL.
“It demonstrates how quickly Guyana and our regional partners were able to mobilise and consolidate support for our neighbour in a time of need,” he noted.2578