On October 8, 2005, an earthquake that registered 7.6 on the Richter scale struck Pakistan and India. Its epicentre was near Muzafarabad, Pakistan, about 95 km northeast of Islamabad.
On October 11, acting on a request from the Government of Pakistan, Canada sent a nine-member evaluation and assessment team to the earthquake zone. The team included experts from Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC) and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) as well as the CF, and its objective was to identify the best contribution Canada could make to the relief and recovery efforts in co-operation with the Pakistani authorities and international agencies. On October 14, having accepted the recommendation of the evaluation and assessment team, Prime Minister Paul Martin announced that the CF Disaster Assistance Relief Team would go to Pakistan. This deployment has been dubbed Operation PLATEAU.
Canada has made a commitment to help Pakistan weather the aftermath of the earthquake through both the initial disaster relief stage and the recovery and reconstruction period still to come. The Canadian government is consistent in its strong support for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations throughout the world, and the DART capabilities demonstrate the care and compassion that Canadians want to see provided to everyone affected by this disaster.
The CF personnel deployed on Operation PLATEAU have the leadership, expertise, experience and equipment required to help the survivors of this disaster. The DART comprises highly trained medical staff and engineers with a multitude of skills, and soldiers who know how to operate in challenging environments. Always prepared to bring aid where it is needed, even on the other side of the world, the DART is now helping people in Pakistan.
Current Status
All 216 of the DART's military personnel are now in Pakistan. Most are working at the DART camp at Gahri Dupatta, 15 km southeast of Muzafarabad. A small liaison and support detachment is in Islamabad. The DART Commanding Officer announced the beginning of water processing and delivery of primary medical care on October 23.
The DART area of operations is in and around Muzafarabad, where three of the four reverse osmosis water purification units (ROWPUs) are located. Earthquake survivors are receiving treatment at the static medical clinic in Gahri Dupatta and from the mobile medical teams visiting remote areas in the area of operations to treat those who cannot reach the static clinic. Gahri Dupatta is also the location of the DART's fourth ROWPU, and the DART engineers are working closely with the Pakistani Army to co-ordinate the delivery of 94 large Canadian military-pattern modular tents, enough to shelter up to 1,200 people.
The 46 members of the DART medical platoon include :
- 1 medical officer (physician);
- 2 nursing officers (registered nurses);
- 2 physician assistants;
- 1 preventive medicine technician; and
- 13 medical technicians.
Nineteen of the DART medical staff are women, an important advantage in areas (such as Pakistan) where female patients may not be permitted to consult male health care providers.
The story so far
Deployment chronology
October 12: T he DART reconnaissance team flew to Camp Mirage, the Task Force Afghanistan support base, and an Antonov AN-225 — one of five cargo aircraft leased for this deployment — arrived at 8 Wing Trenton, Ontario, to take on the first load of DART equipment.
October 14: Prime Minister Martin announced the mission, the DART reconnaissance team flew from Camp Mirage to Islamabad, and the DART advance party left Ottawa for Camp Mirage by CC-150 Polaris.
October 15: The first cargo flight, an AN–225, departed 8 Wing Trenton.
October 16: The DART advance party arrived in Islamabad, and first chalk of the main body — 147 personnel — departed 8 Wing Trenton by CC-150 Polaris at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
October 17: the first cargo flight arrived in Islamabad.
October 18: The first chalk of the main body arrived in Islamabad, and the second chalk — 35 personnel — departed 8 Wing Trenton by CC-150 Polaris at 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The second cargo flight, an AN–124, departed 8 Wing Trenton.
October 20: The second cargo flight arrived in Islamabad, and the third cargo flight, another AN–124, left 8 Wing Trenton.
October 21: The second chalk of the main body arrived in Islamabad.
October 22: The third cargo flight arrived in Islamabad.
October 24: The fourth cargo flight, another AN–124, departed 8 Wing Trenton.
October 26: The fourth cargo flight arrived in Islamabad.
October 27: The fifth and last cargo flight, again an AN–124, left 8 Wing Trenton.
October 29: The last cargo flight arrived in Islamabad.
DART role and responsibilities
The DART is a military organization designed to deploy anywhere in the world to help local authorities deal with crises ranging from natural disasters to complex humanitarian emergencies. Its objectives are as follows:
- Respond rapidly, in conjunction with
national and regional governments and non-governmental agencies, to stabilize
the primary effects of an emergency or disaster;
- Provide safe drinking water and medical
aid to help prevent the rapid onset of secondary effects of a disaster;
and
- Gain time for the deployment of national and international humanitarian aid to facilitate long-term recovery in a disaster-stricken community.
For international missions, the DART can be activated by a request from either the affected country or the United Nations. Whatever the source of the request, the final decision to deploy the DART rests with the Government of Canada, based on advice from DND, FAC and CIDA.
DART capabilities
Consisting of more than 200 CF personnel ready to deploy quickly and conduct emergency relief operations for up to 40 days, the DART can either enhance emergency relief efforts or bridge the gap until the international community sends long-term help. The DART is designed to deploy to a “permissive environment” — that is, to a place where it will not encounter organized resistance or threat. The DART co-operates with international agencies on site to achieve the maximum positive impact. In UN operations, the DART works through the UN-appointed humanitarian co‑ordinator.
The DART provides the following critical services:
- Primary medical care;
- Production of safe drinking water;
- A limited range specialist engineer
services; and
- A headquarters able to handle communications with the host nation, and the other agencies involved in the relief effort, including international organizations, non-governmental organizations and UN aid agencies.
Many domestic and international organizations are committed full-time to the relief of pain and suffering. The DART complements these organizations; it does not compete with them.
DART composition
The DART consists of highly trained military personnel drawn mostly from Land Force units. It has the following elements:
DART Headquarters:
About 45 personnel drawn mainly from the CF Joint Headquarters and the CF Joint Signal Regiment, both based in Kingston, Ontario
Responsible for:
- Command and control in theatre, and
- The strategic-level liaison required to design and co-ordinate the DART humanitarian response with the governments of Canada and the host nation, and officials of international organizations and non-government organizations operating in theatre.
Engineer troop:
About 40 personnel
Construction engineers provide a limited range of building and utilities services
Field engineers build the DART camp and provide water supply and heavy equipment services, working on projects for the host nation and humanitarian aid agencies when the DART camp is completed
Water Supply Section produces bulk and bagged water from its Canadian-built ROWPU, which purifies water so it is safe for use by the medical platoon and for distribution to disaster victims
Medical platoon:
About 40 personnel
Provides treatment of minor injuries, disease control and routine health care services to relieve the pressure on local hospitals and health care workers
Operates a 10-bed static clinic that can also handle 200 to 250 outpatients per day, with laboratory, pharmacy, limited obstetrics services, and re-hydration and preventive medicine sections, but no surgical or trauma-care sections
Logistics platoon:
About 20 personnel responsible for the services that sustain the DART itself, such as maintenance, transport and movements control, supply, procurement and contracting, and food services.
Defence and security platoon:
About 45 personnel who guard the camp and provide general support for DART operations.