Ireland Airlifts 100,000 Euro Of Relief Supplies

The first airlift consisted of 3,000 tarpaulins for use as temporary family shelters as well as 2,200 mosquito nets. These were airlifted to Goal to assist its emergency operations in Kassala, Sudan.

Extensive flooding in the Kassala region caused by abnormally heavy and early rainfall has made an estimated 335,000 people homeless and resulted in scores of fatalities.

The second airlift was to assist the victims of recent serious flooding in Pakistan.

The Irish material consists of 10 large collapsible water tanks (10,000 litre), over 7,000 tarpaulins for temporary family shelter, 1,800 mosquito nets and 7,650 blankets.

The relief items will be distributed through the Government of Pakistan to meet the needs of those displaced by the recent cyclone related flooding. 

Commenting on the airlifts, Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern said that he was, "delighted that the Rapid Response Initiative ... is now up and running.

"By pre-positioning such essential relief items, Irish Aid is now in a position to significantly speed up its response to humanitarian emergencies.

"These supplies meet many of the immediate shelter, housing, water and sanitation needs of those affected by humanitarian emergencies."

"I am particularly pleased that the Irish NGO Goal has been one of the first to access the humanitarian relief supplies pre-positioned by the Government under its Rapid Response Initiative."