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Over 8,600 tons of relief from 57 countries for DRN |
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The
special Disaster Resource Network (DRN) set up at the
Bandaranaike International Airport, has so far received 8659
tons of relief supplies, in the aftermath of the Tsunami
devastation, from over 57 countries which rushed to the aid
of Sri Lanka in its hour of need and as an expression of
their unstinted support towards the Government's effort to
assist the thousands of Tsunami- stricken victims.
According to sources the spontaneous gesture on the part of
these nations, some of them, themselves victims of the
tsunami, went to demonstrate the extent of the goodwill and
solidarity of the world community with the Sri Lankan
Government to assist in the gigantic humanitarian relief
effort.
Chris Weeks, Director of the Disaster Resource Network (DRN)
told the Daily News that they have already received more
than 200 aircraft loads of essential food items, medicines
for the immediate relief of the tsunami victims.
Most of this package of aid includes foods, medicines,
bottled water, blankets, water systems, water cans,
mattresses, equipment, kitchen utensils and dry rations, he
said. Weeks who is a senior official attached to courier
giant DHL, heads the Airport
Emergency Team set up at the BIA performing a humanitarian
service at the DRN set up at the BIA cargo terminal. He said
that he arrived in Sri Lanka on December 29." We got here in
the nick of time", he said.
He said DHL and several other companies from around the
world such as TNT, ARAMEX, Dnata and Emirates Airline joined
forces to form the DRN as a key network to distribute aid
during the present crisis, help with logistics,
transportation and communications. In Sri Lanka, the Airport
Emergency Team coordinates and processes tons of incoming
relief supplies.
Therefore this collaboration of private companies is helping
the Government to cope with the situation and to ensure the
tons of relief move in and out of the main airport smoothly.
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Weeks said a team of 12 officials are busy round the clock
in supervising the cargo operations at the DRN. These
officials are from Norway, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain,
Australia, Germany, India and Sri Lanka. This team of 12 is
assisted by local workers numbering over 50 who move,
organize and process the incoming supplies and send it out
to the tsunami affected areas onboard military and civilian
aircraft.
The system utilizes the business practices of its member
companies and has brought in skilled workmen such as
forklift operators. It is safer and more efficient than
disaster relief operations of the past, Weeks said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Marines conducting logistics and airport
control operations at the airport, from the Combined
Logistics Control Centre, are assisting the Airport
Emergency Team with hauling, among other tasks, as they wait
for their full-scale relief operations to begin.
"When the tsunami devastation occurred, we realized that
there is a job for us and we came direct to Sri Lanka. Weeks
said this was his first mission abroad to assist with a
disaster of such magnitude. Our key objective is to assist
the Government to keep the airport open. He said that he is
satisfied with the cargo operations at the DRN |
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