A 12-member Greek rescue team departed today for Venezuela on a humanitarian mission, according to ERT 3. The team is fr...

Written on 06/27/2026
theatlaswiregreece

A 12-member Greek rescue team departed today for Venezuela on a humanitarian mission, according to ERT 3. The team is from EPOMEA, the Elite Special Missions Unit based in Thessaloniki, one of Greece's most experienced search and rescue organizations. EPOMEA President Miltos Benakis told ERT 3 that the team will operate alongside Serbian and Bosnian rescuers at designated search sites, using thermal camera drones and trained search dogs to locate survivors. The mission is being coordinated with local authorities on the ground. Benakis noted the operation carries significant costs, and the team is still actively seeking sponsorships from both private donors and the Greek state to cover expenses. All 12 members are volunteers with professional rescue training. The team departed today, Saturday June 27. No official casualty figures or details about the specific disaster triggering the deployment were released in the initial announcement, but the scale and international coordination of the mission signal a serious ongoing emergency. #Greece #Venezuela #Rescue