All You Need To Know About Indian Army’s Operation Amistad in Venezuela

An Indian Army field hospital deployed in earthquake-hit Venezuela has become fully operational, providing free round-the-clock medical services to victims of the twin quakes that have killed at least 1,450 people.

The Indian Embassy in Venezuela said the medical team, comprising highly experienced doctors, has established a camp at the International La Rinconada Racetrack in Caracas. "Services are open 24 hours. All services are free," the embassy said in a social media post, as reported by PTI.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Operation Amistad is "underway" and that the field hospital is extending "a caring hand to those impacted by the earthquake." "Indian Army doctors are taking care of people," Jaiswal said, adding that the Venezuelan Vice-Health Minister and head of the Government of the Capital District of Venezuela visited the field hospital.

Operation Amistad: India's Relief Effort

Two Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft transported 66 tonnes of aid, including the Army field hospital, over 35 tonnes of relief supplies, medicines and medical equipment, and two BHISHM Cubes – mobile hospitals aimed at providing emergency medical care. The aircraft completed a 23-hour flight covering an aerial distance of over 14,000 km from Delhi to Caracas, the IAF said on Sunday.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Sunday that the relief supplies, medical equipment and the field hospital unit had reached Venezuela and would bolster the country's ongoing post-earthquake relief efforts.

Venezuela Earthquake: The Scale of Disaster

The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck on Wednesday evening (June 24) were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century and were felt throughout the region. National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez confirmed that the death toll has reached 1,450, with 3,238 people injured and 3,142 families left homeless. At least 430 aftershocks have been recorded since the tremors struck.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced on Saturday that 24 countries have sent humanitarian aid and 2,741 rescue personnel to the region. Approximately 680,000 children currently require urgent humanitarian assistance, UNICEF said. Hospitals sustained severe damage across Caracas, La Guaira, Carabobo, Aragua and Falcón, pushing facilities to critical capacity and disrupting essential care for pregnant women and children.

"India stands shoulder to shoulder with the government and the people of Venezuela during this difficult period," the MEA had said.

India's HADR Legacy

India has established itself as a dependable first responder in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations globally, with the Indian Army frequently deploying field hospitals in the aftermath of major earthquakes. In 2023, under Operation Dost, an Indian Army field hospital with 99 medical specialists was established at Iskenderun, Hatay Province, following the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Türkiye. The hospital provided over 1,000 medical consultations and performed four major and 58 minor surgeries.

In March 2025, under Operation Brahma, a 200-bed Indian Army field hospital in Myanmar treated over 2,500 earthquake victims within two weeks, following a 7.7-magnitude quake that devastated the country. The operation delivered approximately 750 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including essential medicines, foodgrain, tents, blankets, and rapidly deployable surgical and medical shelters.

More recently, under Operation Sagar Bandhu in November 2025, a para field hospital at Mahiyanganaya in Sri Lanka treated over 2,200 patients following Cyclone Ditwah, while Indian Army engineers restored critical connectivity through Bailey Bridge construction. India had also deployed field hospitals in Nepal during the 2015 earthquake under Operation Maitri, where the IAF rescued 11,200 people and delivered 46.5 tonnes of relief material within four hours of the disaster.