Air Force Commander Urges Asia Pacific Countries to Work More Closely

The US has called on air forces to cooperate in relief aid efforts The US has called on air forces in the Asia-Pacific region to work together more closely when disasters occur, and a military response is needed. The area, it said on July 22^nd, has “tremendous potential” for occurrences to take place in the mould of Cyclone Nagris, which hit Burma earlier this year.

Rapid Humanitarian Aid

Addressing officials representing 19 nations at a meeting held in Malaysia, Lieutenant General Loyd Utterback - commander of the US Thirteenth Air Force based in Hawaii – said they should all be aware of each other’s abilities, as well as how to provide rapid humanitarian aid.

"It's our responsibility and it's our calling ... to be able to understand what each of us can bring to that next disaster that will come, hopefully later rather than sooner, here in the region", he said, adding: "We must be prepared to take this on.”

Cyclone Nagris

Utterback drew on the example of Cyclone Nagris, highlighting how the actions of the Burmese government in delaying the arrival of aid added to the disaster’s impact.

The death toll from Nagris is believed to exceed 84,500 people, while over 50,000 more are missing.

"The tragedy with Cyclone Nagris in Myanmar [Burma] was something that could have been avoided”, Utterback asserted.

“Not the fact that the weather and the floods came but the fact assistance and a helping hand did not come in a timely manner."

Lieutenant General Rodzali Daud – Commander of the Royal Malaysian Air Force – was also present at the summit.

Daud also called for regional collaboration, stressing that “not a single country can single-handedly face the major disasters on its own."

Nations, he said, "need to be better prepared, especially in identifying potential disaster areas and stocking up the necessary relief equipment, food, water and medical necessities."

Database, Command Structure

Daud added that those at the meeting should think about creating a central database, and setting up a combined command structure in order to oversee how humanitarian aid is distributed.

"In case of disaster, we need to respond quickly without being hindered by bureaucratic intricacies", he said.

Aside from the countries mentioned, other nations represented at the meeting included Australia, Canada, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Vietnam.

Source – Armed Forces International’s Asian Correspondent

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