SINT MAARTEN/CURACAO - At the request of the Venezuelan authorities, HNLMS Pelikaan departed from Curaçao for the Venezuelan port of La Guaira on Tuesday, September 1. The ship is transporting drinking water to the area following the devastating earthquakes that occurred in late June.
The support ship HNLMS Pelikaan is carrying 70,000 liters of drinking water in her tanks, along with 150 pallets of bottled water, equivalent to 150,000 litres. HNLMS Pelikaan is equipped with a crane and a large cargo hold. Which makes the logistics support ship highly suitable for this relief mission.
In late June, Defence Caribbean Region also contributed to relief efforts following the earthquakes in Venezuela. For instance, the station ship HNLMS Groningen transported tens of thousands of kilograms of relief supplies to the affected areas, including drinking water, food, and medical supplies for the injured and for those who had lost their homes.
Defence Caribbean Region stands ready year-round to provide emergency aid, primarily to the countries of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but, when necessary, also to other countries in the region.
This is particularly important during the hurricane season. In addition to defending the Kingdom, providing assistance is one of the three core tasks of Defence in the Caribbean region.
