MINSK, 30 May (BelTA) – A Belarusian cargo plane with humanitarian aid left for Ecuador on 29 May. The information is posted on the official website of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry, BelTA has learned.
“The operation is conducted on the instruction of the Belarusian senior officials as part of the international solidarity campaign launched after a major earthquake that hit Ecuador's coastal provinces of Manabi and Esmeraldas on 16 April 2016,” the post on the website reads.
At the request of the Ecuadorian authorities, a Boeing 747 will deliver 50 tonnes of humanitarian aid to Eloy Alfaro Air Base in Manta, Manabi province. The humanitarian cargo on board includes tents, blankets, mobile diesel power stations and folding beds to the total tune of almost Br6 billion.
Partaking in the humanitarian operation are the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Industry Ministry and the Emergencies Ministry. A team of rescuers accompany the cargo and are responsible for its delivery.
The rescuers together with representatives of the Belarusian Embassy in Ecuador are expected to visit the epicenter of the quake near Portoviejo. Besides, they will hold talks with members of the committee for the recovery of the earthquake-affected provinces headed by Vice President Jorge Glas to exchange emergency management practices.
The humanitarian cargo will arrive in Ecuador on 31 May.
The earthquake that hit the country on 16 April claimed the lives of more than 600 people and left thousands homeless. It was called the biggest tragedy in the past 67 years. Ecuador President Rafael Correa said the quake caused up to $3 billion of damage, which is around 3% of the country's GDP.
