The Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) is ready to deploy its medical team to carry out a humanitarian mission to assist victims of the recent earthquake in Afghanistan.
Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said ATM is always prepared to be mobilized should the government issue an official directive for such a mission.
He explained that the matter will be discussed at a National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) meeting today to determine the type of assistance required.
“This morning NADMA will hold a meeting. They will discuss it, but as for ATM, we are on standby if there are any decisions or instructions that involve sending our medical team,” he said during a press conference after a working visit to the Army’s Western Field Command Headquarters at Kem Perdana Sungai Besi today.
He added that the form of humanitarian aid—whether deploying only medical personnel or including a field hospital—will depend on the needs and suitability at the disaster site.
“It depends on the situation. For instance, in Bangladesh we sent one type of aid, in Turkey another. We will assess whether to send a field hospital or just a medical team, based on what’s most appropriate,” he said.
For the record, on August 31, a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, particularly in Kunar, Nangarhar, Laghman, and nearby regions.
Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Malaysia is prepared to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. He announced that he would instruct NADMA to mobilize the Malaysian Special Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART) to the affected areas.
He also stated that the Malaysian Armed Forces’ Health Corps has been requested to join the mission after the matter was conveyed to the Defence Minister.
