DART

[shackwacky]

The Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team did not take long to adapt to the medical needs of 90 000 survivors of Hurricane Mitch last November.

The first mission for Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) may have been a "fly-by-the-seat of your pants" experience, but the team still managed to land on its feet — so much so that it completed its Honduran mission in 30 days instead of the anticipated 60.

The disaster in Asia is tailor made for our team. Earlier on the news I heard that we are not sending them either because we haven't been requested yet, or because we can't afford to put them in there. I wonder if we really need to wait for an invitation?

If we can not afford to send out our Disaster Team, why do we have one? In case something happens close by?

[Pateris]

I suspect the reasons behind not sending DART are:

• We can't afford it within the existing military budget
  
• We have no way to get the DART team there due to lack of transportation capability and the government doesn't want the embarrassment of asking the Americans for help
  
• The DART team has been essentially disbanded due to lack of funds but the government is too afraid to admit that.
  

It is likely one of these is the real reason...

[caesar]

We do not send them until they are requested. Things do need to be organized; everyone cannot rush in willy nilly. You anti Canadians should just pack up and leave.

This really doesn't seem to be their expertise anyhow, no one to rescue or dig out; simply bodies to recover and bury and food delivered to the inhabitants and water.

Canada is sending money and have offered the use of the team. Yes, we do wait until we are requested after we make the offer.

[willy]

Caesar,

The DART team, two areas of expertise:

* water purification

* mobile hospitals

Both of which are very much needed and will be for some time. They need to offer it now.

They also need to send more than 4 million. That is a joke. If we can claim to be humanitarians we need to pony up. Order of magnitude, like 100 million would be more like it.

[caesar]

We have offered. They are not a first response type of team. They will go in later when and if needed.

!00 million forget it; we do not need to save them single handed. We need to ensure Canadians have homes and health care available first. Charity begins at home. You send them your next ten pay cheques if you like.

When we can claim that all Canadians have homes shelt and adequate food; then we can share more with the world. We may be large in size but still very small population. We cannot save the world. We have been sending money out all over the world. Time to see that Canadians have adequate resources and services before we try to save the world.

[willy]

Can you say disaster?

11 countries

65 000 dead

A 100 million doesn't even build a bridge in Vancouver.

Save them? 100 million is still inadequate, but at least it is not the pennies in my pocket. 4 million cant buy a decent hockey player let alone, aid millions of people who will die.

How arrogant can you be?

And by the way who have we offered our services to? Source a story that doesn't state that the team needs to be requested.

You chime on about the evil Campbell government but when people really are in immediate need you go to this Canadians first stuff.

without an overwhelming out pouring of help that number above will double because of disease and starvation.

You help because you can. I am sickened by your response. Wow, this is the compassionate left in our country. I hope your other socialist friends at least have a hart outside of their own self interest. When people cant help themselves you help them.

We have an annual budget of 180 billion in our federal government. .5% of that goes to world aid and that number has been shrinking for ten years. And this is not systemic aid, it is disaster relief. We should do more and we use to. The last Conservative government spent millions fighting world hunger and building schools around the world. We never should have stopped.

[August1991]

The truly sad thing in this whole affair is, on one side, the partial knowledge of the situation and genuine desire to help and, on the other side, the total inability to receive help or cope with the situation.

On one side, there are some people in the rich West, Christians perhaps, who feel guilty and want to "do something good". (Typically, their help will only send satellite dishes to people with wood stoves.)

On the other side, many people in countries such as Sri Lanka and Indonesia are, well, poor. Confused, superstitious and ignorant, they cope.

We now live in a world where we can see occasionally such poverty. To the rich, the poverty becomes more dramatic when there is a natural or human disaster.

IOW, let's get real.

I give this news story two weeks max. The earthquake occurred during a slow news time. (It competed with the Ukraine election. By chance, the subterranean plates didn't shift a few metres a few weeks ago during the US election.)

IMV, the Canadian military should only get involved when requested or when their help can clearly help.

OTOH, if I were on PM PM's staff, I'd urge sending aid workers ASAP to get the CBC vote. After all, it's all about Canadian image. PM PM's staff understand that perfectly.

BTW, the Pacific Ocean has an early warning system for Tsunamis. The Indian Ocean does not. Why?

[caesar]

Can you say disaster?

11 countries

65 000 dead

Can we bring them back to life? Are we Canadians responsible for everyone; there is money and help coming from other countries. Half the time any aid we send to these third world countries is ripped off by the governments and really doesn't reach those most needed. It is a tragedy but before you dig into my pockets; I want our own Canadian citizens to be getting adequate services, food, clothing and shelter.

By the way Willy; I could use a few thousand; please send me some money that you are so desperate to give away.

[August1991]

By the way Willy; I could use a few thousand; please send me some money that you are so desperate to give away.

Caesar, I could use a few bucks. If you ask for thousands, you should be able to spare a few twenties.

I'm one of about 30 million Canadians - we're family - so you should take care of me.

[caesar]

Sure thing August; soon as Willy sends me a few bucks; you are on my list. Don't spend it till you get it though.

[willy]

IMO we should come to the aid of those in need.

caesar, if you need money do something of value that you may get remunerated for. In other words find a job. If your house burns down give me a call and I will give you 5 bucks, that should be sufficient because my family needs to eat and go to the dentist.

I feel no guilt August, but I do feel lucky not to of had my family washed away.

I agree the PM PM will make great statements, like he did earlier this year with Sudan and then make meaningless gestures.

The fact the story will die does not make the suffering go away and we have an opportunity to be useful with our resources. I know we find many other ways of wasting the money. (add scams, gun registries etc)

Half the time any aid we send to these third world countries is ripped off by the governments and really doesn't reach those most needed.

Okay so the Red Cross, Unicef, World Vision, Doctors with out boarders are all bad then. We should not bother.

Going by this theory we should not send any of our tax dollars to Ottawa because they have ripped me off for many years now.

[Newfie Canadian]

BTW, the Pacific Ocean has an early warning system for Tsunamis. The Indian Ocean does not. Why?

Money, probably.

The DART website says:

For international missions, the DART can be activated by a request from either an individual country or from the United Nations (UN). Regardless of the source of the request, the final decision to deploy the DART rests with the Canadian government, based on advice from Foreign Affairs Canada, the Department of National Defence, and the Canadian International Development Agency.

and

The DART serves four critical needs in emergencies, namely:

*primary medical care;

*production of safe drinking water;

*a limited specialist engineer capability; and

*a command and control structure that allows for effective communications between the DART, the host nation, and the other agencies involved in the relief effort, including international 0rganizations, non-governmental organizations and UN aid agencies.

I don't know what formal requests have been made, if any.

On the other hand, the Globe & Mail says in an article that:

It takes 24 lumbering Hercules airplanes to transport it out of the country and cost the government $15-million the last time it was dispatched.

Do we have 24 operational Hercules aircraft?

The optimist in me says it's the request and formality issue that's keeping DART here, but the pessimist says it's the lack of money.

[Argus]

We do not send them until they are requested.  Things do need to be organized; everyone cannot rush in willy nilly.

Yes, just because people are dying there's no reason to rush in "willy-nilly".

  You anti Canadians should just pack up and leave. 

Translation: Everyone who does not and admire every aspect of our glorious Canadian government and all its works and agencies, including the miltiary, should shut up.

Caesar can never miss a chance to display her intollerance.

This really doesn't seem to be their expertise anyhow, no one to rescue or dig out; simply bodies to recover and bury and food delivered to the inhabitants and water. 

Only a hundred thousand or so dead. No big deal then, right? Let's get back to more important things, like making sure homosexuals can get married.

[Argus]

It takes 24 lumbering Hercules airplanes to transport it out of the country and cost the government $15-million the last time it was dispatched.

Haven't those poor people suffered enough? Can you imagine the terror in their eyes if you tell them the Canadian armed forces are going to send over dozens of great hulking aircraft older than their fathers held together with spit, glue and wire. AHh, the horror! The horror! The best we can hope for is they crash in the ocean and not into the middle of towns and villages.

[Black Dog]

Can we bring them back to life? Are we Canadians responsible for everyone; there is money and help coming from other countries. Half the time any aid we send to these third world countries is ripped off by the governments and really doesn't reach those most needed. It is a tragedy but before you dig into my pockets; I want our own Canadian citizens to be getting adequate services, food, clothing and shelter.

This is a human tragedy and disaster on an unparallelled scale: more than 70,000 dead and thousands more will surely perish from disease.

So, to see this kind of callous disregard for humanity is chilling.

[greyhound]

So, to see this kind of callous disregard for humanity is chilling.

Lot's of people must feel like you do, and that's the reason that they inundated people in the tropics with blankets. Either that or there is a big surplus of blankets and some smart Samaritans turned it into a gesture of goodwill.

Bush sent cash.

Speaking of "chilling", is your champagne in the fridge yet? It has to served cold, you know.

[I miss Reagan]

Where was it I just read something like: Canada always wants a prominant seat at the table of world issues, but when the bill comes due we go to the washroom.

[greyhound]

Where was it I just read something like:  Canada always wants a prominant seat at the table of world issues, but when the bill comes due we go to the washroom.

My best guess would be that The Baron of Banality posted it. He is the greatest!

Where the heck is he, BTW?

[Shakeyhands]

QUOTE 

  You anti Canadians should just pack up and leave. 

Translation: Everyone who does not and admire every aspect of our glorious Canadian government and all its works and agencies, including the miltiary, should shut up.

Caesar can never miss a chance to display her intollerance.

Translation to the translation - Huh???? Please go next door and see Mr Rove.

As far as more Aid goes, we need to band together as a Planet and dig deep to help these people. !00K dead will be a low number once the diseases kick in. I've given, have you?

[August1991]

BTW, the Pacific Ocean has an early warning system for Tsunamis. The Indian Ocean does not. Why?

Money, probably.

IOW, the countries around the Indian Ocean chose to devote their limited resources to other things than constructing an early warning system.

Sri Lanka, for example, has been involved in a bloody civil war for the past 20 years. To my knowledge, Bush Jnr is not to blame for that war.

[You waterproof your basement but your poor neighbour instead buys fireworks. When the nearby river bank rises, your neighbour's house is inundated.]

This is a human tragedy and disaster on an unparallelled scale: more than 70,000 dead and thousands more will surely perish from disease.

So, to see this kind of callous disregard for humanity is chilling.

With 6 billion people in the world, about 150,000 die everyday. Most of those deaths could be prevented and the person enjoy a longer life. Unfortunately, most people live and die in poor countries without access to modern health facilities.

This daily death does not attract dramatic headlines.

[Guest eureka]

The maon reason there has been no early warning system around the Indian Ocean is that the need was not foreseen, or at least not foreseen as something urgent.

Tsunamis are rare in those parts whereas in the Pacific they occur about 4 times every year. It may have been shortsighted but this is a once in a hundred years (perhaps much longer) occurrence.

Why be so cynical about Canada's aid? It is not enough, but, proportionately, it will be far greater than either the US or Europe. More is needed but it is the world that must respond.

[Big Blue Machine]

We should give more than 100 million. Our first investment of 4 million was an embarrasment. When I heard of our first aid gift, I thought "they are being GENEROUS". Our 40 million isn't enough either.

[shackwacky]

Director general of the World Health Organisation, Dr Lee Jong-Wook, said the risk of disease had increased substantially, with diarrhoeal diseases, respiratory infections, malaria and dengue fever being particular threats.

"The health needs of the populations affected are immediate and substantial. At least 300,000 people have been injured and are in urgent need of medical care. Drinking water is in very short supply in some areas, due to contamination by salt water," he said

.

DART has the capability to assist in exactly these areas. Now we are wasting money sending an advance team to see if they need the help?

[shackwacky]

It's just so...Canadian. We get a few bucks and put together a crack team of first responders with the knowledge, experience and equipment to really make a difference. Then when the real disaster comes along, we can't afford the gas to get there?

Or worse yet, we can afford to, but would prefer someone "invite" us? Umm, I think they might be kinda busy over there right now. Perhaps the countless media appeals for help, any help, we need drinking water and medical supplies - perhaps this could be construed as an invitation?

I am not talking here about our monetary aid. I am talking specifically about our Disaster Team. It takes time and organization to convert monetary promises to concrete bodies in the area clean water medical aid help...and Canada should have been there as soon as they could lift off. Yes, even if we had to beg for air transport.

[Argus]

Why be so cynical about Canada's aid? It is not enough, but, proportionately, it will be far greater than either the US or Europe. More is needed but it is the world that must respond.

Canada is being reasonably generous, but no one is ever as generous as the Americans. Their aid will be far, far higher. The money announced is mostly symbolic. Real aid will come from American Air Force cargo planes and the US Navy, and neither will be costed out.