Thai Advance Team leaves for Haiti earthquake zone

BANGKOK, Jan 29 (TNA) - The Thai Advance Team comprised of French- and Spanish-speaking experts, medical doctors and army engineers departed Bangkok for Haiti to prepare added assistance to the earthquake-impacted nation, according to Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Theerakun Niyom.

Mr Theerakun said the trip was a follow-up to the Cabinet’s decision to provide humanitarian assistance to Haiti, which was hit by a massive earthquake on January 12.

He said the Thai Advance Team, comprised of two representatives each from the ministries of foreign affairs, defense, and public health, departed Bangkok Friday evening for Mexico City to join with the minister councellor and local staff oat the Thai embassy there.

The group will meet representatives of the Mexican government to receive a briefing on the latest situation in Haiti and also exchange views on how to provide humanitarian assistance to the country.

After stopping over in Mexico, the group will go to Haiti to carry out their mission including meeting and helping Thai nationals in Haiti, coordinating with the Mexican government on delivering Thailand’s contribution amounting to US$100,000, some of which was already used to procure urgent medical supplies and necessities to assist the Haitians.

They will coordinate and supervise the arrival of the first shipment of 100 tonnes of Thai rice on the morning of February 2 at Port-au-Prince airport.

They would observe the Mexican medical team’s task and evaluate medical assistance Haiti needs in order to prepare for the future operation of the Thai medical team and estimate Haiti’s demand for assistance in restoration and reconstruction.

Mr Theerakun said that according to international organisations, the reconstruction of Haiti would take more than 10 years and that Thai military engineers could be sent there for long term reconstruction.

The Advance Team was scheduled to return to Thailand on February 8 and the first batch of medical teams could leave for Haiti in mid-February.

The initial group would be three teams which have all together 45 members or 15 each from Ratchaburi. (TNA)