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3 min readNew DelhiJun 27, 2026 04:24 AM IST
Medical supplies and other relief material being sent to Venezuela under Operation Amistad, on Friday. (ANI)
The Indian Armed Forces Friday dispatched two C-17 Globemaster III aircraft carrying a specialised medical contingent, relief supplies and medicines to assist Venezuela where back-to-back earthquakes have killed over 900 people and left thousands injured and missing.
Mounting Operation Amistad (Spanish for friendship), the Indian Air Force is undertaking one of its longest humanitarian aid flights — Venezuela is around 15,000 km from India. The C-17 Globemaster III aircraft has spearheaded multiple global humanitarian and disaster relief (HADR) missions, delivering medical supplies, field hospitals and emergency aid to regions worldwide.
The Army’s medical team from 60 Para Field Hospital departed Friday afternoon from the Hindon Air Force Station and is en route Venezuela, the Army said in a statement, adding that the contingent comprises 41 personnel, including nine medical officers. It is equipped to provide emergency medical care, trauma management, life-saving surgical support and other essential healthcare services to those affected by the earthquakes.
According to the Army, the team is carrying approximately six tonnes of medical stores and humanitarian relief supplies provided by the Ministry of External Affairs. The BHISHM Cube (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog, Hita & Maitri) is being transported as part of India’s Aarogya Maitri Project.
The BHISHM Cube, it said, is a state-of-the-art, indigenous, rapidly deployable modular medical facility designed specifically for disaster and humanitarian response.
“Comprising compact, self-contained medical modules, it can be quickly assembled into a fully functional field hospital capable of delivering advanced trauma care, emergency surgeries, intensive care support and essential medical treatment for up to 200 patients,” the Army said.
The satellite image shows the epicentre of the earthquakes in Venezuela. (Source: USGS)
It is equipped with portable ventilators, patient monitors, diagnostic equipment, surgical instruments, power-generation and oxygen-support systems, enabling swift and effective medical assistance during humanitarian crises anywhere in the world.
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People stand on a park after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday. (AP Photo)
“The dispatch of the medical contingent under Operation Amistad reflects India’s enduring commitment to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and its readiness to extend timely support to friendly nations in times of crisis,” the statement noted.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a post on X, said the assistance contains an Army Field Hospital Unit and over 35 tonnes of relief supplies, medicines and medical equipment including two BHISM Cubes. He said India is committed to supporting the government and people of Venezuela in this difficult time.
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