RIYADH, 1 February — A Saudi transport plane carrying relief supplies for the victims of a devastating earthquake in India, took off from the King Khaled International Airport yesterday afternoon for Bombay. Another plane-load of relief materials is likely to be flown to India Sunday.
"This spontaneous gesture in sending two planeloads of relief supplies to India is much appreciated," said Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad, while commenting on the humanitarian gesture ordered by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd.
He said the Saudi plane carrying tents, blankets, food materials and medicines had flown to Bombay in the absence of landing facilities for wide-bodied transport aircraft at Ahmedabad airport.
The Riyadh-based Arab Gulf Fund for United Nations (AGFUND) led by Prince Talal also announced yesterday assistance worth $100,000 for the earthquake victims. "The donation is part of relief supplies from all around the world to ease the suffering of the ill-fated Indians," Prince Talal said in a statement.
Other Gulf countries also announced plans to send humanitarian aid to India's Gujarat state which was devastated a massive earthquake last Friday. A Kuwaiti Air Force Hercules C-130 landed at Ahmedabad airport yesterday with relief supplies from the country. This is in addition to contribution of $250,000 announced by the Kuwaiti Red Crescent Society.
Bahrain is planning to send a relief plane in the next two days. The United Arab Emirates has announced plans to send a plane Thursday carrying 40 tons of urgent supplies.
Ambassador Ahmad said, "We are overwhelmed by the spontaneous expression of concern, which has been articulated by the Saudi leadership. The messages of condolence from King Fahd, Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and civil aviation, are a source of great consolation to us."
Asked about a meeting of nearly 40 Indian community organizations here yesterday to chalk out a future program of relief operations, Ahmad said that "the meeting discussed an action plan for carrying out relief operations." A similar meeting of the community leaders will be held in Dammam on Thursday in the presence of V.K. Sharma, first secretary at the Indian Embassy.
Ahmad, however, said that the mission would not encourage any individual or organization to hold social and cultural events to raise funds. All people are invited personally to come to the embassy or the consulate with their donations against which receipts will be issued, he noted. The donations will be sent to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.
Meanwhile, Air-India's Central Province Manager K.D. Row said all Air-India flights originating from Saudi Arabia would carry relief supplies for the quake victims free of cost. He said special cells had been set up at the Air-India offices in the Gulf and Middle East countries to oversee the airlifting of relief.
Air-India currently operates 19 weekly flights from the Kingdom -- six from Riyadh, six from Jeddah and seven from Dhahran. He said that the Air-India flights operating from the Kingdom had the capacity to lift 40 tons of relief goods on a daily basis.
Row said the airline had already appealed to the Saudi Arabian Airlines to waive the handling charges of relief shipments.
