Aid groups mobilise workers and relief material

Humanitarian groups in the UAE are in a state of emergency trying to help those affected by the earthquake that ravaged South East Asia on Sunday.

Charities have estimated that the number of people in need of urgent assistance after the tsunami is between 30,000 and 40,000 - mainly people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and the Maldives.

The Red Crescent Authority (RCA) has mobilised its workers and the federation is donating $20,000 (Dh 72,000) to each of the five countries. "As of this morning, money will be sent by the federation from Geneva for the countries to buy things immediately," said Dr Saleh Altaee, director of emergencies and relief at the UAE Red Crescent.

A Mohammad Bin Rashid Humanitarian and Charitable Foundation team has left for Thailand and other nations to assess the damage.

"A cargo of 32 tonnes containing medical and sanitary materials has already been sent for the people in India, Malaysia and Indonesia," said Fouad Esmail, director of Medecins Sans Frontieres (UAE).

Mouna Ouni, event coordinator MSF, said: "Our team from Jakarta expects to arrive in northern Sumatra soon. We also have seven aid workers leaving for Indonesia from Europe today and tomorrow. The cargo flight with relief materials from Ostende should arrive on Sumatra no later than Wednesday."

Meanwhile, a team of seven staff is on its way to Sri Lanka's north-eastern coast. More emergency workers will follow this week. In Malaysia, MSF is looking at the coastline north of Penang island. International organisations, such as Unicef are also in the field and have been relaying information to Dubai Aid City (DAC).

Omar Shehadeh from Unicef Dubai office said: "We have been mobilised to support relief efforts locally and in the region. We are establishing a hub in cooperation with DAC, which will help in facilitating our efforts to get across the emergency medical kits to the needy." These include the emergency health supply kit that is sufficient for 50 people and costs $1,620(Dh 5,832).

Barbara Castek, head of Dubai Aid City said: "We are supporting the Airport Emergency Team that will send two people to Sri Lanka to make a damage-control assessment."