Dutch rescue team travels to Turkey | News item

News item | 07-02-2023 | 10:05

The Dutch urban search and rescue team has arrived in earthquake-hit Turkey. The team will help search for survivors under the rubble. They left Monday evening from the military airport in Eindhoven. The team consists of 65 aid workers and 8 sniffer dogs and will help track down people under the rubble.

The rescue team consists of search and rescue personnel, nurses and doctors, sniffer dog handlers, structural engineers, support staff and executives. The multidisciplinary team specializes in searching, rescuing and recovering people from under the rubble.

The deployment of the Dutch rescue team follows an international request for help from Turkey and operates in addition to the local rescue effort. Other countries have also provided rescue teams and other aid, including the United States, Germany and Romania.

Heavy equipment

A cargo plane with 15 tons of heavy rescue equipment also departed from Eindhoven on Monday evening. This equipment can be used for the physical search and recovery of people under the rubble and for ICT and other support.

Partnership USAR.NL

USAR.NL is a partnership of various security regions and the ministries of Defense and Justice and Security. The USAR team consists of professionals from the police, fire, ambulance and other disaster services. The team has already been deployed in disasters abroad, for example after the major explosion in Beirut in 2020 and after Hurricane Irma in 2017 on Sint Maarten.

The Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation decides on deployment abroad. This in close consultation with the National Commander USAR.NL and the Ministry of Justice and Security. The international efforts of the USAR team are financed from the budget for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation.

You can find more information about the rescue team on the USAR.NL website

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