". ▁ ▁The ▁Red ▁Cross ▁aid ▁ship ments ▁were ▁expected ▁to ▁begin ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁weeks , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁ship ment ▁would ▁help ▁about ▁ 6 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁people ; ▁simultaneously , ▁a ▁le aked ▁UN ▁report ▁estimated ▁that ▁ 7   mill ion ▁Venez uel ans ▁were ▁likely ▁in ▁need ▁of ▁human itar ian ▁assistance . ▁During ▁what ▁The ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁called ▁" Lat in ▁America ' s ▁worst ▁human itar ian ▁crisis ▁ever ", ▁the ▁" operation ▁would ▁rival ▁Red ▁Cross ▁relief ▁efforts ▁in ▁war - t orn ▁Sy ria , ▁signal ing ▁the ▁depth ▁of ▁Venezuela ' s ▁crisis ." ▁Roc ca ▁said ▁the ▁efforts ▁would ▁focus ▁first ▁on ▁hosp it als , ▁including ▁state - run ▁facilities , ▁and ▁said ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁was ▁open ▁to ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁deliver ing ▁aid ▁products ▁stored ▁on ▁the ▁Venez uel an ▁borders ▁with ▁Colombia ▁and ▁Brazil , ▁if ▁the ▁products ▁meet ▁standards . ▁The ▁first ▁ship ments ▁of ▁medical ▁supplies ▁will ▁by pass ▁the ▁government ▁and ▁go ▁to ▁eight ▁clin ics ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁in ▁Venezuela . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁additional ▁problems ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁Venez uel an ▁black outs , ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁hopes ▁to ▁also ▁provide ▁hosp it als ▁with ▁power ▁plants . ▁Roc ca ▁war ned ▁that ▁the ▁Red ▁Cross ▁would ▁not ▁accept ▁any ▁political ▁inter ference , ▁and ▁said ▁the ▁effort ▁must ▁be ▁" in dependent , ▁neutral , ▁im partial ▁and ▁unh inder