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More than 150 Somali villagers in Xabo and Bandar Murcayo were given access to medical facilities on 17 November after NATO’s counter-piracy flagship, HNLMS Rotterdam, set up floating health clinics with its landing craft.
After conducting patrols off the north-east coast of Somalia as part of Operation Ocean Shield, HMLMS Rotterdam moved nearer to the shore so that villagers could make their way out to landing craft carrying medical teams and improvised facilities.
“By using our landing craft in such an imaginative way as a floating health clinic, we are able to provide basic medical support just off shore,” explains Commander Ben Bekkering, Commander of the Task Force. “We identified these villages because they are accessible from the sea and they have hitherto had no medical care whatsoever.”
Building trust
This the second time the ship has offered medical care to the villagers, following a previous visit in early September.
“What strikes me was that compared to our last visit, this time the patients mainly consisted of women and small children without their men folk accompanying them,” says Staff Medical Officer of the NATO Task Force, Commander Klaas Visser. “This may be indicative of greater trust and understanding by the villagers.”
The Swiss army knives of the sea
Operation Ocean Shield is NATO’s counter-piracy operation in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa. The Alliance has been helping to deter and disrupt pirate attacks, while protecting vessels and helping to increase the general level of security of the region since 2008. Numbers of successful pirate attacks have been reduced from 44 per cent in 2004 to 16 per cent in 2011.
While the Operation’s main remit is to defeat and deter piracy, its warships posses a number of capabilities that allow it the flexibility to provide additional help while not stepping out of their mandate.
“Our ships are the equivalent of a floating Swiss army knife,” says Commander Bekkering. “The capabilities of HNLMS Rotterdam coupled with sailors who possess an array of skills mean that we can contribute a great deal more.”
Vice Admiral Christian Canova, Deputy Commander of Maritime Command Northwood, adds, “Our success against piracy at sea is helping to prepare the ground ashore for stability because it encourages all in the community to realise there must be an alternative lifestyle and other licit means to promote prosperity…but piracy has not been eradicated in Somali.”
The North Atlantic Council approved Operation Ocean Shield on 17 August 2009.
The mission has been extended until the end of 2014.