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3 January 2005
By Jennifer Hill and Russell Fallis,
Scottish
Press Association
A further 45 tonnes of bottled water is on
its way from the UK to the Maldives, where
the population desperately needs clean
drinking supplies after being hit by the
tsunami.
A flight chartered by the UK Department
for International Development left Prestwick
Airport, near Glasgow, at 8pm carrying 20,000
bottles donated by Scottish Water and Strathmore
Water.
The DC8 aircraft, also carrying 10,000 collapsible
clean “qua-pack” containers and
10,000 sterilisation tablets, should arrive
on the islands tomorrow following a refuelling
stop in Libya.
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Maldivian
women in the refuge after tsunami,
Maldives |
Douglas Smith, surplus small assets manager
at Scottish Water, who spent 18 months in
Iraq helping restore the country’s
water infrastructure, said: “As the
days go by and we see people trying to cope
with the aftermath of this awful tragedy,
it’s even more important that we help
in any way we can.
“Supplies of clean and safe drinking
water as well as things like aqua-packs for
transporting water around are absolutely
vital.
“Our initial offer of help got the
ball rolling and everyone has been great
in offering to give more help.”
Glasgow Prestwick’s director of freight,
Stuart Sinclair, added: “Prestwick
is proud to play a part in this vital humanitarian
air lift.
“Like everyone else in Scotland we
were shocked by the devastation caused by
the tsunami and want to help in every way
possible.”
Tonight’s departure was the second
airlift of water from the UK to the Maldives,
which lie south west of Sri Lanka in the
Indian Ocean.
Thousands of bottles of Scottish Water were
flown from Manchester last week in an airlift
arranged by Mr Smith.
Scottish Water says it has been “inundated” with
offers of help since then.
Later this week it intends to either airlift
or ship more aid to help quake victims in
Sri Lanka, including bottled water from Woodrow
Lemonade in Dunfermline, supported by a local
Guide group, and from Dundee-based charity
Mercy Ships.
The public water company has also identified
five generators that could each power a field
hospital and three 5,000-litre water bowsers – all
surplus to requirements.
It is now more than a week after a sub-sea
earthquake just off the northern Indonesian
island of Sumatra sent killer waves surging
across the Indian Ocean and claimed more
than 120,000 lives, including those of at
least 40 Britons.
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