UAE rescuers receive official welcome home after Myanmar mission

Team praised for commitment to humanitarian values in efforts to locate earthquake survivors

The UAE Search and Rescue Team received an official welcome home on Wednesday in recognition of their efforts to find survivors of last month's devastating earthquake in Myanmar.

They were greeted by Brig Salem Al Dhaheri, director general of Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority, who praised the work of the team, led by Col Muzaffar Al Ameri, commander of the UAE Search and Rescue Team.

Brig Al Dhaheri highlighted the team's professionalism and commitment to humanitarian values, state news agency Wam reported. The Emirati rescuers were also commended by Yangon region chief minister U Soe Thein at an official farewell ceremony at Yangon International Airport earlier on Wednesday. He expressed his gratitude to the UAE for its humanitarian support.

The UAE team conducted search and rescue operations at six sites, in co-operation with Myanmar authorities and international teams, after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28. The shallow earthquake flattened buildings across the South-East Asian country, prompting the international community to come to its aid. On Wednesday, the death toll rose to 3,649.

Myanmar's military leaders announced a temporary ceasefire to make relief operations easier. The military government said it would observe a ceasefire until April 22 after other armed groups fighting the country's four-year civil war made similar pledges. The military said the ceasefire had “the aim of speeding up relief and reconstruction efforts, and maintaining peace and stability”.

Rights groups and several foreign governments had earlier condemned the leaders for continuing to carry out air strikes as the country dealt with the quake aftermath.

There are also fears that destroyed buildings will collapse further and complicate efforts to recover bodies.

Aid efforts in Myanmar – in pictures

The UAE has sent a search and rescue team, comprising members of Abu Dhabi Police, the National Guard and the Joint Operations Command, to support efforts for those affected by the earthquake in Myanmar. Photo: Sky News Arabia

President Sheikh Mohamed ordered a team to be sent to the stricken nation. Photo: Sky News Arabia

Search and rescue operations are being conducted across six locations in Myanmar. Wam

Teams are working on rotation to boost response efforts and reach as many affected areas as possible. Wam

The number of deaths has exceeded 3,000, with many more injured and hundreds still missing. Photo: Sky News Arabia

Myanmar's military leaders have announced a temporary ceasefire to make relief operations easier. Photo: Sky News Arabia

The 7.7-magnitude quake last Friday flattened buildings across the South-east Asian country, prompting the international community to come to its aid. Photo: Sky News Arabia

The arrival of the Emirati team stems from 'the UAE’s commitment to providing immediate relief to communities suffering from the aftermath of natural disasters anywhere in the world as a gesture of solidarity and brotherhood', Wam reported. Wam