Hotspot 4: Aid After a Devastating Hurricane
September 6, 2017. Hurricane Irma roars over the Caribbean Sea and the island of Sint Maarten is hard hit. Almost all buildings are destroyed. The naval ship HNLMS Pelikaan departs from Curaçao immediately. This aid ship carries food, drinking water, trucks, and medicines. But the port of Sint Maarten is filled with debris and damaged goods due to the hurricane. The navy personnel of the Pelikaan cannot distribute the aid goods immediately. Divers must first investigate whether the ship can dock safely. The Pelikaan does not have enough supplies to help everyone on the island. The Netherlands sends marines, planes, and the largest ship; HNLMS Karel Doorman. It not only carries drinking water and food but also:
- Communication masts so that people can make calls again.
- Police cars so that the police can get back to work quickly.
- Building materials to rebuild the hospital and schools, for example.
Watch how they did it
Thanks to the excellent cooperation between the navy and the army, 1 million kilos of supplies were unloaded from the ship in just 10 hours.
Go to hotspot 5 in the “Kinderatelier” via the entrance of this building.