A logistic support bridge spanning the Shatt al-Arab waterway in central Basra, Iraq (stock image)
[Picture: Cpl James Williams RLC, Crown Copyright/MOD 2009]
The key priorities of the UK aid effort in Pakistan are air transport of relief stores and restoring damaged or destroyed bridges.
RAF transport planes have already delivered several thousand items to help with the relief effort - see Related News - and now, following direction from the National Security Council, two logistic support bridges are being transferred to DFID.
Many bridges have been washed away in the floods and repairing or replacing damaged bridges is a key priority for the international aid effort and the Government of Pakistan.
The two UK logistic support bridges being sent as part of the relief effort were originally due to be sent to Afghanistan. US bridges will now be used for their original intended purposes while replacement bridges have already been put in the supply train to be sent to Afghanistan.
The two British bridges will now reinforce a £10m bridge-building project which DFID has brought forward in response to the flooding.
The Pakistani military has the necessary engineering expertise to erect the bridges so there is no requirement for UK personnel to be deployed to assist.