The MNCCC will share, coordinate and optimise the use of
ships and aircraft delivering emergency aid to affected
islands. By working together as well as alongside close
allies and partners, including the US and Canada, the
military cell will improve the efficiency of humanitarian
relief operations in the region.
Defence Secretary Sir said:
The UK has led the way in providing expert disaster
relief to those suffering in the wake of Hurricane Irma
and now Maria moving a significant amount of troops,
aid and equipment into the region. The creation of this
co-ordination center will see the UK work with our
European allies as we share our expertise and assets to
coordinate the delivery of emergency relief across the
region.
In the face of such devastation, it is more important
than ever to work side by side with our international
allies to maximize our response to this crisis, making
sure that aid reaches those who need it most.
The MNCCC is intended to act as a liaison and
coordination body which will align international military
activity and work as a point of contact for participating
nations and regional authorities.
The military cell will be established on the island of
Curacao at the Dutch Naval Base Parera, and will be
active for between one and two months in order to support
the longer term reconstruction and recovery effort in the
region. The cell will be staffed by around 30 military
personnel from the three nations, where the UK contingent
will provide specific expertise in tactical and
operational air lifts.
The creation of the cell is the latest example of joint
crisis response work in the region, which so far has
included a British C17 aircraft transporting 30 tons of
French equipment and vehicles to Guadeloupe to support
French helicopter operations, and the Dutch vessel HNLMS
KAREL DOORMAN picking up additional UK aid from
Portsmouth today on her way to the Caribbean. Moreover, a
UK specialist in humanitarian and disaster relief was
amongst the first French military deployment to the
region, and all three nations have liaison officers
embedded in each others’ military headquarters.
The MNCCC builds on a history of the UK’s close defence
collaboration with France and the Netherlands. Our Armed
Forces work side by side across the globe, for example in
the Counter-Daesh Global Coalition and also in NATO,
through which France contributes to the UK-led enhanced
Forward Presence deployment in Estonia and the Dutch have
committed a company of Marines to the UK-led NATO Very
High Readiness Joint Task Force (Land) this year. The UK
also works alongside the Netherlands as partners in
the UK-led Joint
Expeditionary Force, a nine-nation-strong
high-readiness task force, whilst the UK and France will
train, operate and fight alongside each other through the
Combined Joint Expeditionary Force, successfully tested
through Exercise Griffin
Strike last year.
