The Canadian Government has consistently demonstrated strong support for humanitarian assistance and disaster-relief operations throughout the world. Following the Earthquake the CF-DART Task Force Pakistan (TFP) set up camp at Garhi Dupatta, 20 kilometers southeast of Muzafarabad with a Medical Clinic and a Reverse osmosis Water Purification Unit (ROWPU). The CF-DART TPF has three ROWPUs in Muzafarabad.

The origins of CF-DART go back to 1994 when the CF deployed 2 Field Ambulances to Rwanda. Despite the best efforts of all concerned, the relief effort after the peak of the Cholera epidemic that brought great suffering. This experience convinced the Canadian Government of the need to create a rapid response capability to provide effective humanitarian aid. The concept of the CF-DART was born. The DART is a military organization designed to deploy rapidly anywhere in the world to crisis ranging from natural disasters to complex humanitarian emergencies. It works in conjunction with national and regional governments and non-governmental agencies to stabilize the primary effects of emergencies; provide purified drinking water and medical aid to prevent the rapid onset of the secondary effects of the disaster; and gains time for the deployment of national and international humanitarian aid to facilitate long term recovery in a disaster stricken community.

CF-DART has operated in Haiti, Honduras, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and now Pakistan. It comprises 200 CF personnel ready to deploy for up to 40 days in permissive environments where it will not encounter any organized resistance or threat. It can be activated by a request from an individual country or the UN, and requires permission from the Canadian Government. CF-DART serves the four critical needs of primary medical care, production of safe drinking water, a limited specialist engineering capability, and a command and control structure that allows for effective communications with the host nation and the other agencies involved in the relief effort. CF-DART comprises of Headquarters (45 personnel) for strategic level liaison; Logistics Platoon (20 personnel) for transport and supplies; Engineer Troop (37 personnel) for bulk and bagged water, and limited construction; Medical Platoon (40 personnel) for tented facility catering to 250 out-patients and 10 in-patients per day. A Defence and Security Platoon (45 personnel) provide camp security and general support. CF-DART is not designed to conduct search and rescue operations.

Thank you for all the help CF-DART!