Army sends relief to Syria quake victims via personnel deployed in Golan Heights with UN

Forty personnel of the 180 posted there will make multiple trips to capital city Aleppo to transport the aid material.

A machinery operates at the site of damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake, in rebel-held town of Harem, Syria on 13 February 2023 | Photo: Reuters

New Delhi: The Indian Army carried relief material to earthquake-hit Syria Wednesday, through its personnel deployed with the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) at the Golan Heights, sources in the Army said.

Army sources added that personnel attached with UNDOF sent the first convoy of relief material to the capital city of Aleppo on Wednesday. The consignment included rations and medicines. The material was handed over to local administration authorities, sources said.

One hundred and eighty personnel of the Indian Army have been attached for logistics support to the UN Disengagement Observer Force operating along the Area of Separation (AOS) between Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Syria.

The UN Disengagement Observer Force has been present in the region since 1974 to maintain a ceasefire between Israel and Syria over the Golan. Israel captured the Heights after the 6-day war in 1967.

Sources added that the Syrian government requested the UN for assistance with earthquake relief. Consequently, the Indian government decided to provide help directly through their personnel deployed in Golan.

To ensure that the right assistance was provided, Army sources said, “An advance party reached Aleppo on 12 February and liaised with Dr Maher, the Governorate Council of Aleppo and the Governor of Aleppo. The Governor thanked the Indian team for the kind gesture and mentioned that he was only in need of relief material at this juncture.”

For a smooth relief operation, the Indian Army has decided that a team of 40 from the 180 deployed at Golan will make multiple trips to Aleppo to transport relief material, including food supplies, medicines, clothes and other aid.

This aid material will be pooled together by the Indian government, the UNDOF, and the international community, sources said.

India has already sent multiple flights with relief material to both Turkey and Syria since the calamitous earthquake hit the countries earlier this month. On Sunday, the seventh flight of “Operation Dost” carried relief material weighing more than 35 tonnes from India.