The Sultanate has contributed $2 million to the Unesco’s Emergency Fund. Dr Samirah bint Mohammed al Moosa, the Sultanate’s Permanent Delegate to the Unesco, handed over a cheque of $2 million to Irina Bokova, Director-General of the Unesco. The amount is a contribution from the Sultanate’s Government to the Unesco’s Emergency Multi-Donor Fund.

This came during a signing ceremony attended by Dr Nassif Hitti, Permanent Observer of the Arab League to the Unesco and Zohour Alaoui, Permanent Delegate of Morocco to the Unesco, President of the Arab Group.

Oman’s Tsunami Early Warning System, decreed by His Majesty following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, is under development, and is likely to be operational only next year, says Dr Issa el Hussein, Director of the Earthquake Monitoring Centre of Sultan Qaboos University. Development of the system is being overseen by the Directorate-General of Meteorology and Air Navigation.

The Oman Charitable Organisation (OCO) announced that the Omani relief team has completed the task of distributing five batches of aid meant for the Libyan people. A source at the OCO stated that the team distributed the fifth batch of aid last Thursday and Friday. This included medical equipment and devices, medicines and computers to serve hospitals and health centres in the northern cities, including the capital Tripoli.

As per the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, the Omani Charitable Organisation (OCO) will start from today dispatching Omani relief aid to those affected in Somalia through an air strip.
The first and second flights will head for Mogadishu International Airport at 8 am with 90 tonnes of foodstuff, medicines and tents.

Chief Executive Officer of OCO said the first consignment, 720 tonnes, includes medical supplies and equipment, foodstuffs, relief materials and tents.

In response to the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, the Sultanate, represented by Oman Charitable Organisation (OCO), has sent a consignment of Omani aid to those who flee Abyan, Lahj and Aden governorates in Yemen.

The Omani relief assistance was transported on many flights, the first of which left Muscat for Aden yesterday.

The 1,058-tonne aid, which will be transported on board five planes, includes medicines, medical appliances, foodstuff and other relief materials.

The first batch of Omani relief supplies has been distributed to Libyan refugees in Tunisia and those in the western mountain inside Libya. The Oman Charitable Organisation’s (OCO)Executive Chairman said that about 600 tonnes of food, medicines and other supplies were distributed to the Libyans in refugee camps in Tunisia and in the Nafusa Mountain in Libya.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that the OCO is getting ready to send the second batch of aid supplies.

The Oman Charitable Organisation (OCO) yesterday started sending aid for the flood-affected people in Pakistan.

The first plane carrying aid will arrive at Multan airport in Lahore today while the second plane will arrive in Peshawar airport on the same day upon which will be received by the Omani Relief Team in Islamabad and members of the Oman Embassy in Pakistan.

The Relief Team will continue rendering aid in the affected provinces during Ramadhan. The aid includes food, drinking water, dates, tents, relief supplies and tools. The volume of the aid stands

Schools in parts of Muscat Governorate have been doubling as shelter for Cyclone Phet evacuees in a co-ordinated relief effort mounted by a number of government ministries and agencies, with the support of volunteer groups. One such shelter for cyclone displaced people is the Imam Nasser al Kharusi School at Mawaleh. More than 250 men, women and children, including a significant number of expatriate residents, are sheltering at the school, courtesy of the Ministry of Education.

The relief effort is being overseen by the Ministry of Social Development, while staff and volunteers affiliated

As per the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos to provide humanitarian aid to people in areas hit by the earthquake in the western Indonesian Island of Sumatra last month, Omani teams continued to fly relief supplies to the stricken areas for the second week as part of the first stage of assistance. Stage one includes urgent assistance to 3,021 people that includes 400 tonnes of foodstuff, tents, medicines and equipment for hospitals. The 2nd stage that includes rebuilding of houses, schools & health centres will begin after completion of stage one.