Search-and-rescue teams among help sent from S’pore
SINGAPORE — A contingent of search-and-rescue personnel and disaster relief experts left Singapore yesterday for Nepal, to help in what is said to be the Himalayan nation’s worst earthquake in 80 years.
Two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) C-130 aircraft left Paya Lebar Airbase yesterday carrying a 69-member search-and-rescue team comprising officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force and Singapore Police Force — including officers from the Gurkha contingent — and four dogs.
An advance team of six from the Changi Regional Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Coordination Centre (RHCC) was also deployed to assist the Nepalese national disaster management authorities and military with their attempts to coordinate relief efforts. Also on board was a United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs representative.
The team is expected to arrive in Kathmandu around noon today. A 16-person Singapore Armed Forces medical team is also on standby and ready to depart, said the Ministry of Defence yesterday.
In a Facebook post, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said: “We know that there are risks of further aftershocks but are confident that these men and women will do Singapore proud and perform their utmost to help our Nepalese friends in need.”
These efforts come after the Government on Saturday said it would contribute S$100,000 as seed money to kick-start the Singapore Red Cross’ appeal for donations. The Singapore Red Cross, which will be sending $50,000 worth of relief items and emergency supplies to Nepal, said it will accept donations in both in cash and cheque, which will be channelled towards emergency relief and recovery assistance for the affected communities. It is also in contact with its partners in Nepal and plans to send disaster response personnel to the affected areas.
Humanitarian organisation Mercy Relief said it will set aside an initial tranche of S$60,000 to support acute relief efforts. It is also set to deploy a two-man preliminary disaster response team to Kathmandu to ascertain ground needs and procure initial batch of relief supplies.
Mercy Relief chairman Michael Tay said: “From experience, we are directing our acute relief efforts at shoring up the supply and distribution of shelter, food and water for the survivors.”
Its rapid response team on the ground on Monday will determine how it can most effectively assist with recovery, he added. The group will also call for donations for quake victims starting today.
