The head of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) and commander of the Venezuela expert delegation, BG (Res.) Yossi Pinto, said: “We are in the central destruction zone in La Guaira near Caracas, Venezuela. The coastline here has been significantly damaged. Hundreds of structures have been destroyed, and this is a complex and large-scale event.”
“We are at the beginning of the third week of the delegation’s activity. Approximately 32 experts from Israel are operating here, assisting the Venezuelan authorities in transitioning from the immediate response phase to the rehabilitation phase,” noted the head of NEMA. “Our main efforts are focused on providing the knowledge, experience, and capabilities we have accumulated in Israel and around the world. We are assisting in formulating a national situation assessment, decision-making processes, setting priorities, and laying the groundwork for the rehabilitation process.”
“This is a phase that will last for many months, even years. Our goal is to provide them with the best professional tools to help them cope with the complex challenge before them,” continued BG (Res.) Pinto.
“We are working in close cooperation with the local authorities. They are receptive to the recommendations and insights we bring, and the very fact that the Israeli delegation continues to operate here even after most international delegations have already left, adds significant value to the effort. I hope that the joint work and the tools we leave here will help Venezuela cope optimally with the rehabilitation challenge in the coming years.”