Jordan Times
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Rescue team, relief
supplies dispatched to Pakistan
By Mahmoud Al Abed
AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday
directed concerned authorities to dispatch a field hospital to Pakistan to help
the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit parts of the country.
A team of 52 doctors, surgeons, nurses and other medics from the Royal Medical
Services will leave for Pakistan today, to help ease the suffering survivors of
the quake and conduct surgeries, a Royal Court statement said.
Jordan has in the past set up hospitals in the West Bank, Iraq and Iran (in the
aftermath of the Bam earthquake in December 2004).
Earlier Monday, the Kingdom sent two military C130 cargo planes carrying a
12-man-strong search and rescue team and relief aid to the quake-affected areas
of Pakistan.
King Abdullah ordered the humanitarian mission after a devastating earthquake
hit Pakistan and India earlier this week killing and injuring tens of thousands
in the worst natural catastrophe witnessed by the region.
The relief aid was coordinated by the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO),
whose president, HRH Prince Rashad Bin El Hassan, attended the loading of the
planes and saw off the rescue team, who belong to the support and rescue
division of the Civil Defence Department (CDD).
Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Abdul Salam Abbadi, who is also JHCO
secretary general, said the relief shipment included 30 tonnes of tents,
blankets, medicines and food parcels among other items.
He told reporters at the Amman Civil Airport in Marka as the two aircraft were
being loaded yesterday, that the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) donated the tents
while the Ministry of Health provided the medical supplies. The JHCO
organisation took care of securing the rest of the aid cargo.
Abbadi said the charity organisation embarked on a fundraising campaign to help
Pakistan, which was the worst hit by the 7.6-magnitude earthquake.
Staff from the Pakistani embassy in Amman were also at the airport to see off
the airforce planes.
Seven members of the rescue team that left for Pakistan yesterday had taken part
in the Bam rescue efforts and were able to pull several people from under the
rubble days after the quake rattled the southern Iranian town.
CDD Inspector General Brigadier General Ahmad Rahahleh, who was also present at
the takeoff, said 76 CDD personnel were highly trained in search and rescue
operations.
Lt. Colonel Marwan Ahmad, commander of the support and rescue division in the
central region, said the CDD team is equipped with state-of-the-art tools,
including special cameras, infra-red detectors and metal cutters.
The unit is one of the 76 members of the International Search and Rescue
Advisory Agency (INSARAG), which was established by the General Secretariat of
the United Nations.
INSARAG is an inter-governmental network that deals with urban search and rescue
(USAR) and related disaster response issues. Its purpose is to provide a
platform for information exchange, to define standards for international USAR
assistance and to develop methodology for international cooperation and
coordination in earthquake response.
INSARAG includes earthquake-prone member countries as well as traditional
providers of international assistance.
Jordan has participated in several drills organised by the agency, and will soon
host one of these activities, CDD officers announced.
Lt. Colonel Ahmad said all arrangements have been made with the network and the
Jordanian team will immediately take part in the rescue operation.
He said the Kingdom's team is classified as medium in terms of ability to
respond, which means that it can mobilise to disaster areas abroad in 36 hours
and inside the country in six hours.