The Spanish Technical Aid Response Team (START) is Spain's rapid response team for humanitarian emergencies. Launched by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in 2016, this Team primarily consists of volunteer health professionals and can deploy to any country affected by a crisis in less than 72 hours.
Its members are from multiple lines of work: health professionals from the National Health System, specialists in water and sanitation, electricity and electronics technicians, and logistics staff with the skills to work in locations without basic services. START can also deploy a full field hospital or smaller versions as needed.
In 2018, the World Health Organization recognized START as a specialized Emergency Medical Team (EMT), and it also forms part of the European Emergency Response Capacity coordinated by the European Commission. As a result, a portion of its cost is covered with European funds.
START in Venezuela: the length of the mission and its purpose
After the earthquake struck Venezuela, START left for Caracas on 1 July. Its deployment strengthened the Venezuelan healthcare system because the Team not only attended to the wounded but also to displaced persons and those who had lost access to their normal medical centres. START coordinated smoothly with the European Union and the World Health Organization from the outset.
In the first few hours, the Team focused on traumatic injuries: fractures, major wounds and traumatic brain injuries. As the days passed, the focus of work shifted to primary care, psychosocial support and treatment of respiratory conditions caused by dust and smoke. The Team also attended to people with muscle fatigue and injuries relating to rescue efforts. At the same time, epidemiological surveillance was performed to prevent disease outbreaks.
The Team faced multiple challenges: relieving pressure on an overstretched health system, attending to those who had lost their homes, and preventing disease among a population in a highly vulnerable situation. Later, as the days passed, the mission progressed to a stage focused on rehabilitation and epidemiological monitoring.
During deployment, the team rotated every fifteen days: the first shift returned on 13 July and the second on Friday 24 July. In total, 90 professionals were involved in the mission.
The people of Venezuela showed great hospitality to the team, offering them food, support and repeated thanks.
The impact of START on the ground
In addition to the recent mission in Venezuela, the START operations carried out in recent years and listed below have demonstrated the Team's capacity to work in disparate settings and under enormous pressure:
- Cyclone Idai in Mozambique (2019) — The first international mission, where the Team demonstrated self-sufficiency in a devastated setting with no basic services.
- Türkiye–Syria earthquakes (2023) — Rapid deployment of a field hospital in İskenderun, which operated for six weeks.
- Hurricane Melissa [PCSA1] in Jamaica (2025) — Bolstering of the local system in response to the rise in injuries, infections and public health needs.
- Floods in Mozambique (2026) — Activation of the AquaSTART module, to purify drinking water in areas without safe access.
In addition to its medical missions, START provides logistical support for humanitarian missions. In 2020, it helped distribute aid sent to Honduras and Nicaragua in the wake of Hurricanes Eta and Iota. In 2021, START members installed drinking water treatment systems in Haiti following the earthquake.