Feature story - August 2, 2006
Greenpeace has offered to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) the use of the Rainbow Warrior for transporting much-needed supplies to Lebanon. The vessel was already in the Mediterranean and has now docked in Larnaca, Cyprus for loading medical supplies.
The Rainbow Warrior, with a capacity for transporting 40 tonnes, will help MSF deliver vital medical supplies to Lebanon. It is not clear yet how many rotations the vessel will make for MSF.
"We understood that there were major difficulties for
humanitarian organisations such as MSF in getting bulk supplies
quickly from Cyprus to Beirut," says Bruno Rebelle, programme
director of Greenpeace International. "We are very happy that we
can contribute to a temporary solution to these problems as we are,
like everyone else, deeply concerned about the consequences of the
fighting in the Middle-East for the civilian population."
MSF currently has almost 100 tonnes of medical materials and
other relief supplies waiting for transport in a warehouse in
Larnaca, with another 80 tonnes scheduled to arrive there soon.
Though some of the supplies get through to Beirut, the bulk of them
are stuck in the absence of sufficient transport capacity. Very few
boats are available for sailing to Lebanon as there is little
guarantee for safe passage.
"We have two major transportation problems," says Jerome
Oberreit, operational director for MSF in Brussels. "To date it has
been very difficult to move large volumes of relief goods from
Beirut to southern Lebanon by road. We rely on cars which we stack
with boxes to drive along the severely damaged and insecure road to
Tyre; trucks have been hit by missiles so truck drivers are
reluctant to move into the southern region. On top of that, we have
major problems in getting our materials to Beirut quickly enough.
In the short term, the offer from Greenpeace means a partial
solution of one of our two problems."
The Rainbow Warrior has capacity for transporting 40 tonnes,
equivalent to 105 pallets. It is not clear yet how many rotations
the vessel will make for MSF.
Medecins Sans Frontieres has around 30 international staff
working in areas in Lebanon that are severely affected by the
conflict. The emphasis in MSF's activities is on supporting
Lebanese health workers, setting up additional health posts and
mobile clinics where necessary, and distributing basic materials
(shelter, hygiene kits, cooking utensils, baby powder milk) to
displaced families.
For further information please contact: Mike Townsley,
Greenpeace International Communications, +31621296918, Amsterdam,
Erwin van 't Land, Médecins Sans
Frontières (MSF), Brussels, +32 2 474 7488 or +32 475 661 342
http://www.msf.org/