RFA Largs Bay ready for Haiti relief mission

Following a request from the United Nations the ship is being loaded with essential relief supplies and equipment for the people of Haiti that will be needed in the weeks and months ahead.

Equipment and supplies currently being loaded onto the ship at the Marchwood Military Port in Southampton have been donated by the Department for International Development (DFID) and British and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as through money donated by the British public via the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal.

Talks with the NGOs as well as the Haitian Government, the UN and other aid nations have shown that at this point in the relief effort what is most needed is food, specialist vehicles, and construction equipment and facilities to help rebuild the damaged docks at Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital city, and, therefore, this is what will be included in Largs Bay's sizable hold.

Captain Ian Johnson, Commanding Officer of RFA Largs Bay, said:

"I am delighted that we are able to assist the people of Haiti during this extremely difficult time. We have a significant number of highly motivated personnel embarked, with a diverse range of skills; we are eager to get there and put these skills and equipment to good use.

"It is an immense task, but I am sure we can make a positive difference."

Although the ship will take approximately 12 days to cover the 4,000-mile (6,400km) Atlantic crossing, the extent of the damage in Port-au-Prince and the large number of ships arriving to deliver aid to the island mean that a firm disembarkation plan has yet to be finalised.

However, the nature of Largs Bay as a dedicated amphibious supply ship means that even if port infrastructure is not available it can use its onboard 'Mexeflote' powered rafts or LCVP (Landing Craft Vehicle/Personnel) to discharge the aid to a beach if necessary.

Captain Johnson said:

"We have a ship to carry the cargo, the cranes to offload it and the rafts to load it to and the equipment to take it over the beach, so you can see we are pretty much a one stop shop - so we can definitely make a difference to some of the areas on the island."

The ship's aircraft hangar has been removed for the operation to enable more space to be utilised for cargo, however the ship will retain an aviation capability with trained staff if other coalition aircraft require the vessel for these purposes.

The ship's company is made up of civilian RFA officers and crew who are trained in civilian maritime skills with an overlay of military training to allow them to integrate seamlessly with the Armed Forces in often dangerous situations.

The ship will also be carrying around 40 specialists from 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, part of the Royal Logistic Corps, based at Marchwood.

Their initial responsibilities will be to pilot the Mexeflote and LCVP, manage the cargo and organise the unloading of cargo in challenging environments.

Captain Chris Hayworth of 17 Port and Maritime Regiment said:

"Our main key capability is to put things across a beach - should that capability be needed. We can also operate in a port if that be the case and respond to any tasking that may arise when we are there."

When they arrive in Haiti they will be joining British personnel already helping with the relief effort working either directly for DFID, as part of the Government Stabilisation Unit, or for the various NGOs currently in the region, many of whom, such as the Red Cross and Handicap International, are working with funds donated by the UK.

Phil Marker from DFID explained how Largs Bay fitted into the overall UK relief package:

"Since the earthquake happened we have had teams on the ground, both humanitarian specialists and also people from the UK Government Stabilisation Unit.

"We have also flown out urgent relief supplies such as immediate shelter materials, for example plastic sheeting, water containers, cooking equipment etc.

"But the RFA Largs Bay fits into our thinking about the next phase of the relief effort and the need to sustain that and look to the future.

"On it there will be shelter materials - 55 tonnes of corrugated iron sheeting, which is all we could find in the time available. That will allow us to construct transitional structures that are more durable than tents and plastic sheeting.

"Looking forward to the hurricane season we are trying to make sure that as many people as possible have shelter until they can rebuild their homes.

"The second thing is 4x4 vehicles owned by NGOs which will be used to get their personnel - doctors and other humanitarian relief workers - out to the places they are needed.

"The third type of kit on board is port equipment. This will be used to improve port facilities so that the relief effort can be sustained and the speed increased."

As happens whenever there is an international disaster relief effort DFID and the Ministry of Defence have been working closely since news first arrived of the earthquake, as Mr Marker explained:

"As soon as the earthquake struck we were in touch with the MOD, as we always are to see what they could provide.

"The tasking of RFA Largs Bay developed about a week after the earthquake as it started to emerge what the real logistical constraints on the relief effort were.

"We had flown in relief supplies by civilian method but it was clear that the port was badly damaged so we got in touch with the MOD and they offered a Bay Class ship.

"Almost simultaneously the UN made a similar request for a Bay Class ship so it has turned out to be perfect for what we need in the second part of the relief effort - getting aid you can't fly in and then for helping the UN getting stuff around the earthquake zone."

RFA Largs Bay and its complement will remain in Haiti after supplies have been offloaded to be tasked as necessary by the UN and the World Food Programme to assist in getting further aid into the country.