NATO doctors and engineers arrive in Pakistan
NATO medical and engineering personnel have begun arriving in Pakistan to join the urgent relief effort for survivors of the 8 October earthquake who remain without shelter as winter approaches.
Mons, Belgium - The first elements of the NATO field medical team, which moved on Sunday to the Bagh area, are now setting up a hospital in the earthquake stricken area. In the rough terrain, preparing the chosen location has proven tougher than initially expected. However the team still plans to have the field hospital constructed within the week, able to deliver a range of sophisticated medical care, including surgery, to victims.
The Dutch medical personnel now in Pakistan were the first medical staff to arrive, as part of what will be a multinational NATO medical team. According to the commander of the NATO Response Force (NRF) relief mission, Vice Admiral John Stufflebeem, the Dutch medical force demonstrated the kind of rapid movement inherent in NRF operations.
"I commend the Dutch commander and his team for their rapid response and set-up. They were on the way to the Bagh area literally minutes after unloading their aircraft, and that's exactly the capability this mission calls for. NATO is delivering aid to the victims of a terrible natural disaster, and time is short. The winter will soon be upon us and we have to act fast to bring relief to as many people as possible."
Meanwhile, the lead element of a Spanish-led battalion of NATO engineers who arrived in Lahore at the weekend has begun to move north towards the disaster area. The engineers, who will move into the earthquake zone by land routes, were flown into Lahore to avoid clogging the already full Chaklala airbase, which is closer to the earthquake zone and being used for critical relief shipments. An advance party of the Polish engineering company who will be part of the multinational engineering battalion are also now in Pakistan.
“I’m glad to have this additional capability moving into Pakistan and I’m eager to get these professional engineers to work on critical projects enabling additional relief supplies to reach those in need,” said Admiral Stufflebeem. “NATO is delivering.”
The first two of four German transport helicopters assigned to NATO are now in Pakistan. Having been delivered by strategic airlift the CH-53 helicopters are being reassembled, and are expected to join the aid effort by the end of the week.
NATO Air Bridge
Three more NATO air bridge flights including two military C-130s and a US-chartered Boeing 747 arrived on Monday from Turkey. They were carrying 84 tons of relief supplies, including tents and blankets, from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Another two Boeing 747s, which can carry much larger loads than the C-130s, are scheduled to arrive today.
With Tuesday’s arrivals, NATO's air bridge will have delivered more than 800 tons of supplies from bases in NATO nations, primarily Turkey and Germany to support tens of thousands of earthquake victims.