The crew of FS Var (A608), the flagship for Commander Task Force 150, a multinational coalition, which usually operates in the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and the North Arabian Sea, craned off more than two tonnes of food supplies destined for Pakistan.

Cmdr. Rémi Poisot, commanding officer of the French Navy vessel Var, said French coalition ships pooled their resources, making the staple goods available to those in need, a Press communiqué issued by the Public Affairs Office of the Bahrain-headquartered US Fifth Fleet said.

We asked our superiors in France about the possibility to redirect some of the pallets of the cargo to Pakistan to help the people in need, Poisot said explaining that the food was part of the vessel’s cargo.

From Var, the food went to USS Cleveland (LPD 7) for transport to Pakistan. Both ships stopped in Bahrain for brief port visits, which made the ship-to-ship transfer possible.

We are not scheduled to go to (Pakistan), but since we have a very good relationship with the US Navy, we took advantage of our port visit in Bahrain to give the US Navy these pallets, he said.

Cleveland, an amphibious transport dock ship that usually carries Marines and military assault vehicles, expects to collect more Pakistan-bound food and other supplies during their Bahrain visit.

“Things are being put together very rapidly from a variety of organisations,” said Capt. Michael B. Chase, commanding officer of Cleveland. “We’re expecting to bring aboard a full load, primarily of food this time, and also some smaller equipment. Humanitarian supplies are very important in a natural disaster, and with winter approaching, many people are without homes, without food.”

“The people of Pakistan are our friends,” he said. “We are grateful for their friendship. We are grateful for their unwavering support in the war on terrorism. And we are happy to be able to help them by carrying large amounts of food and equipment from the French and the combined effort of several nations.”

“As you know, we have had a series of natural disasters in our own country recently,” Chase said.

“That is fresh in the minds of our crew and reminds us that any country can suffer a natural disaster (and) have people who are displaced or have people who are in danger.”

In addition to assisting Pakistanis, Var and Cleveland are deployed to the region to support maritime security operations. Being in the area allowed both ships to respond quickly to the tragedy.