HUMANITARIAN AID PROVIDED BY NATO TO PAKISTAN FOLLOWING THE EARTHQUAKE ON 8-10-2005
(10 October 2005- 31 January 2006)
On the 10th of October 05, Pakistan requested NATO humanitarian aid following the disastrous earthquake on the 8th of October 2005.
SHAPE issued OPLAN 10305, on the 11th of October 2005, which was authorized by NAC on the same day.
The main points of the preparation procedures of the Operation were the following:
- Euro Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre was the liaison between the donor States and the Pakistan Authorities.
- SHAPE and JFC Lisbon determined that the donated assistance would be transported by airlift operation coordinated by NATO.
- The assistance, which would be sent to Pakistan, was gathered by E.U donor States at Ramstein air force base, Germany.
- The relief assistance was transported by C-130 strategic airlift a/c of NRF and by Trainer Cargo a/c of NEA WFC.
- A Unit of 5000 men from NRF-5 was deployed in Pakistan. The task of the Unit was to assist in reconstructing the main infrastructure (roads, bridges, buildings, schools, hospitals ect.) and in the aid distribution to the Pakistan authorities .
- JFC Lisbon assumed the responsibility of the command of the Force in which the HQ Valencia Land Component Command and the French Joint Air Force Command were allocated.
- Relief Aid for Pakistan, provided by UN member-states, was also gathered at Intzirlic, Turkey.
Greece was one the countries that transported humanitarian aid to Pakistan from the very beginning. It allocated a C-130 a/c to make a route to Pakistan. And another C-130 a/c was stationed in Intzirlik to transport UN materiel from Intzirlik, Turkey to Islamabad, Pakistan. It was deployed from the 18th October to the 25th of November 2005, and conducted 61 missions, flying 227 hours and transporting 244,880 lbs- 568m3 of cargo.
Greece allocated four Officers for the manning of the HQ Valencia, for the Force deployed in Pakistan.
The Operation concluded on the 31st of January 2006.