Local members assist thousands of flood victims in Venezuela
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The first of two large shipments of food and other supplies from the LDS
Church was expected to arrive by Jan. 1 in northern Venezuela where floods
have killed thousands and left legions homeless.
One Church member is known to have died in the disaster, while another 20 members are still missing, said Alberto Martineau, Caracas Venezuela Service Center manager for the Church.
Lists of "unaccounted for" members are being distributed to local Venezuelan Church leaders in hopes of locating missing members who may have been evacuated to safer areas of the country, Brother Martineau said.
All LDS missionaries in Venezuela are safe and have reportedly joined with area members in lending service to families devastated by the torrential rains and subsequent mudslides.
Meanwhile, a 225,000-pound shipment of food, hygiene kits and medical supplies from the Church was shipped from Salt Lake City to Miami. The shipment was expected to be flown from the United States by the Venezuelan Air Force and be on the ground by Jan. 1, said Garry R. Flake, director of Church Humanitarian Service.
A second, 200,000-pound shipment of food and clothing from the Church is expected to arrive in Venezuela in mid-January.
About 3,800 family food boxes will be included in the second shipment. Each food box contains enough food to feed a family of four for a week to 10 days, Brother Flake said.
The food boxes were assembled by volunteers from the Farmington Utah and Farmington Utah South stakes.
The goods from each shipment will be distributed by the Venezuelan Civil Disaster Agency, in conjunction with local Church leaders.
"Most will be distributed to non-members," Brother Flake said.
