Thursday 11 de october de 2018

Information for the Press N°: 411/18

The Argentine Republic, through the White Helmets Commission of the Argentine Foreign Ministry, is participating in the humanitarian mission headed by the United States to respond to the critical situation of Venezuelan migrants in the region.

The USNS Comfort hospital ship departed yesterday, 10 October, from the Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia to conduct a medical assistance mission in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia and Honduras. The current 11-week mission will provide care to approximately 750 patients per day and perform up to 20 surgeries per day on board.

The goal of the mission is to relieve pressure on the medical systems of host countries affected by the flows of Venezuelan migrants, who escape from the humanitarian crisis affecting their country.

White Helmets provides a volunteer corps comprised of healthcare personnel with vast experience and technical qualifications for this type of operations. In the first stage of the mission, 5 healthcare professionals will work together with the U.S. multidisciplinary corps.

The USNS Comfort hospital ship has been performing humanitarian tasks for more than a decade. The ship has visited 18 countries in the Caribbean, Central America and South America, providing medical assistance to almost 390,000 people and performing over 6,000 surgeries.

Argentina, through White Helmets, has been conducting important humanitarian work to assist displaced Venezuelans. Last June, a medical response unit was established in Cúcuta, Colombia, to assist more than 3000 Venezuelan migrants.