Two Indian Air Force (IAF) Boeing C-17 heavy-lift aircraft headed out to Venezuela on June 26, carrying elements of the Indian Army’s 60 Para Field Hospital on a humanitarian mission for providing medical assistance to the earthquake-hit country.
Under Operation Amistad, meaning ‘friendship’ in Spanish, Venezuela’s national language, the 41-member team is equipped to provide emergency medical care, trauma management, surgery and critical care.
Besides carrying about 35 tonnes of medical supplies, equipment and relief material, the team is also deploying the indigenously developed BHISHM Cubes, a rapidly deployable modular field hospital capable of delivering advanced trauma care, emergency surgeries and intensive care for up to 200 patients, significantly strengthening India’s disaster response capability.
Bilateral ties between India and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, which lies on South America’s northern coast on the Atlantic, have been traditionally warm, rooted in cooperation in the energy sector and a shared commitment to the Global South, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. Venezuela has emerged as India’s top suppliers of crude oil.
The mission embodies India’s enduring commitment to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, guided by the timeless ethos of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — The world is one family,” The Indian Army said on its X handle. “In moments of adversity, India stands in solidarity with the people of Venezuela, extending compassion, care and hope to those affected.”
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations are an important part of India’s global engagement. Since the Indian Army deployed its first medical mission to Korea in November 1950, also by 60 Para Field Ambulance as it was then called, India has a long and credible record of providing relief teams and emergency supplies to countries hit by natural calamities. Over the years, India had developed extensive disaster management experience and capability, both domestically as well as overseas.
Policy for timely and credible response
India’s HADR missions are based on a robust policy and institutional architecture that enables coordinated, timely and credible response to natural or man-made disasters at home and abroad.
For international HADR operations, India’s approach is guided by the Agenda No.10 — Bring about greater cohesion in international response to disasters — of the Prime Minister’s 10-point agenda on Disaster Risk reduction, according to information shared by the government.
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) also issued International HADR Guidelines in October 2024, which institutionalise overseas disaster response and are bound by certain principles such as respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the affected states, adhering to international humanitarian law and human rights standards and committing to transparency, accountability and ethical conduct.
The guidelines also implicitly align with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Gender Action Plan (2024), reinforcing inclusivity in humanitarian action. “Importantly, they formally recognise the Indian Armed Forces as pivotal enablers of rapid response, mandating their role in strategic lift, logistics, medical support, evacuation and engineering tasks, with increasing emphasis on technology integration, such as drones and AI-enabled forecasting,” a brief issued on the subject earlier by the government said.
Institutional stakeholders
Several institutions within the government are involved for the planning and execution of overseas HADR operations and ensuring that the response is structured, swift and strategically coherent. These include —
- Ministry of External Affairs: The nodal ministry for India’s overseas HADR engagement, responsible for diplomatic coordination, handling requests from affected states and international outreach. In 2021, the ministry had set up a Rapid Response Cell, initially for coordination to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, which now functions as a central coordination hub for overseas HADR and liaising with NDMA, Armed Forces, Airports Authority of India and other union ministries or departments concerned.
- Ministry of Home Affairs: The ministry’s Integrated Control Room for Emergency Response, operational 24×7, coordinates international operations from India with the Ministry of External Affairs National Disaster Management Authority, National Disaster Response Force and other stakeholders.
- Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff: Functioning under the Ministry of Defence, it provides the strategic airlift capability, logistics, medical support, engineering capabilities and other rapid deployment assets.
- National Disaster Management Authority: It is the apex policy body that frames guidelines and coordination mechanisms for disaster response, including international HADR missions. The National Disaster Response Force deploys specialised disaster response teams and equipment when and where required.
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: It leads medical and public health support in HADR through emergency medical teams, disease surveillance, global coordination, and inclusive healthcare delivery. It also coordinates with the World Health Organisation and other health agencies for public health management.
The Armed Forces’ pivotal role
The institutional framework, according to the brief, mandates the Armed Forces’ role in rapid deployment, with emphasis on technology integration such as employment of drones and artificial intelligence for forecasting. NDMA’s HADR Guidelines formally recognise the pivotal role of the Indian Armed Forces in disaster relief operations. The Army can deploy troops and set up field hospitals or first aid centers, the Air Force is tasked with airlifting relief personnel, medical supplies, rescue equipment and evacuating people, the Navy can use ships for evacuation, transport of relief goods, while the Coast Guard renders support in maritime disasters like cyclones or tsunamis.
This approach is aligned with India’s commitments under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction which emphasises preparedness, resilience, effective response, and coordinated recovery. The Sendai Framework is a non-binding UN-endorsed agreement by member states that focuses on reducing disaster risks and losses from natural and man-made hazards by preventing new risks and mitigating existing ones.
Numerous domestic exigencies apart, the Indian Armed Forces have over the past decade undertaken over a dozen overseas HADR and evacuation operations. These include missions in Nepal, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Turkiye, Syria, Myanmar, Ukraine, Poland, Bangladesh, Sudan and some other Indian Ocean Rim countries. Several exercises, including those with some friendly foreign countries have been conducted to hone skills and interoperability.
