Pak troops in Liberia take an arduous track to deliver aid
RAWALPINDI: Pakistani troops working under UN flag in Liberia travelled over 50 kms on foot in a day to explore a hitherto inaccessible area so as to extend humanitarian assistance to the needy people.
The expedition, which comprised officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army in Liberia set out in the wee hours of June 28. After 15 hours, passing through low hanging branches and high growing bushes, covering a distance of 54 kilometres on foot — stopping just for food — they reached Vahun in Lofa County.
With approximately 400 occupied structures and population of more than 7,000, Vahun is cut off from all road links and has remained inaccessible to all agencies and NGOs, who wish to extend their humanitarian services to this isolated area.
Besides, in the absence of any road link with their own country, the people there totally depend on the road link to towns in neighbouring Sierra Leone.
Against this backdrop, the Pakistani contingent planned an expedition to explore the abandoned pre-war route linking Lofa and Gbarpolu counties from Vahun to Kongba, which further links with Manrovia through Tubmanberg.
Before the war this was the main route used by the people to travel to Tubmanberg and Manrovia but was subsequently abandoned due to destruction of some bridges during the war.
The expedition led by Deputy Commander Sector 2 Col Tariq and Maj Hassan, consisted of 28 personnel from the infantry, engineers, medical, communication and special services elements. The entire population warmly received the expedition. The expedition spent a night in Vahun and interacted with locals.
The people celebrated the occasion by organising a musical function in the town hall. Next morning, the expedition departed from Vahun and after covering about two kilometres track, entered a jungle with thick growth and bushes.
The wild growth was so dense that it even restricted the visibility all round. Passing through the thickest growth made the expedition felt like a mole burrowing through the ground.
Onwards and upwards they went, through dense forests, crossing the broken bridges, making the way through glades along the abandoned Vahun-Mbaluyi Nomodatundu track. Finally the expedition reached the road head - Nomodatundu — near Kongba after about 15 hour walk.
It is hoped that the findings of this expedition and detailed assessment of the track, by the Pakistani engineers, in terms of efforts required to rehabilitate it, will serve as baseline study for integrating the work of government of Liberia, United Nation agencies and non-governmental organisations for the development of Vahun and surrounding areas.
Moreover it will also give an insight and better understanding of the humanitarian issues confronting the residents of Vahun.
Subhan’Allah.
I would like to know what the Hindu Fanatics think of this? I know Hindu Soldiers don’t have a good record in Kashmir but opinions are still welcomed!