Operation Dost is an ongoing search and rescue operation launched by the Indian government to assist Syria and Turkey following a violent earthquake that devastated both countries on February 6, 2023. The epicenter was located 34 kilometers west of Gaziantep, Turkey.
Humanitarian Operations in Turkiye
According to Turkish envoy Firat Sunel, India was among the first countries to assist earthquake-ravaged Turkey. On the evening of February 6, 2023, India immediately dispatched NDRF squads to assist in rescue operations in affected areas of Turkey. The Indian Air Force dispatched a C-17 to Adana, carrying 47 NDRF personnel, three senior officers, and a specially trained dog squad. Personnel was accompanied by necessary equipment, such as medical supplies, drilling machines, and other aid-related equipment.
India sent Droni drones from Garuda Aerospace to the most affected areas to identify those trapped under rubble, as well as modified Kisan drones carrying medications, food, and supplies. The NDRF teams are equipped with chip and stone cutters, which are tools used to break through concrete slabs and other building materials in order to free victims, as well as radar for detecting heartbeats.
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The Indian Air Force dispatched two more C-17 aircraft to Turkey on February 7, 2023. These two flights carried relief supplies, a mobile hospital, and additional search-and-rescue teams. Along with NDRF personnel, the Army Field Hospital in Agra dispatched 89 medical personnel. The medical team includes critical care specialists as well as general practitioners, and they have access to X-ray machines, ventilators, an oxygen generation plant, cardiac monitors, and other equipment needed to set up a 30-bed medical facility. India had sent a total of six C-17 aircraft as of February 9, 2023.
Humanitarian Operations in Syria
Despite concerns that aid will not reach Syria as a result of the current crisis and subsequent sanctions, India has maintained its commitment to assisting those in need. According to Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, “I believe the G20 mantra, ‘One Earth, One Family, One Future,’ should be foremost in our minds, and in all of this, the present becomes a testing ground for how we as humans come together… Sanctions do not address such humanitarian issues.”
On February 8, 2023, Deputy Minister of Local Administration and Environment Moutaz Douaji received over 6 tons of emergency relief assistance at Damascus Airport, which included three truckloads of protective gear, emergency medications, ECG machines, and other medical supplies.
Glimpses from Operation Dost
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