关于Airlift的背景介绍

“TheinvasionofKuwaitstartedon1August1990,andwithintwodaysofintensecombat,mostoftheKuwaitArmedForceswereeitheroverrunbytheIraqiRepublicanGuardorfellbacktoneighboringSaudiArabiaandBahrain.TheEmirateofKuwaitwasannexed,andSaddamHusseinannouncedafewdayslaterthatitwasthe19thprovinceofIraq.Morethan170,000IndianswerestrandedonKuwaitsoil.”from“wikiquot;.1.Whytheevacuation?DuringtheGulfwarin1990,whenSaddamHussaininvadedKuwait,theIraqistookoverthecityinafewhoursleavingtheentirecountryinastateofterror.ThisincludedthefairlysignificantIndiancommunitythereaswell.WhiletheKuwaitiroyalfamilyescapedtoSaudiArabia,thegeneralpopulationsufferedgreattragediesandloss.TheresponsibilitycameontheIndiangovernmenttosafelyevacuatetheIndiancommunityfromKuwaitandhence,thelargestairevacuationmissiontookshape.2.Whatmadeitdifficult?EvacuatingtheIndiancommunityfromKuwaitwasnotaneasytask.PeoplewerenotreadytoleavebehindeverythingtheyhadspenttheirentirelivesearninginKuwait.Theyunderestimatedthegravityofthesituationandwerereluctanttoleavetheirwell-settledlives.Also,manypeoplelivingtheredidnothavevalidtravelpapersastheyhadhandedthemovertotheiremployerswhowereeithermissingordead.Also,IndianpeopletookshelterinvariousschoolsandotherbuildingsinvariouspartsofAmman.TheyhadtotravelfromvariousplacestotheAmmanairport.Itcouldnotbepredictedwhenthesepeoplewouldarriveandduetothis,flightsgotdelayedalot.Thecrewhadtostayondutyforamuchlongertimethanthestipulateddutyhourswhichcreatedalotoftiffs.3.Howdidtheydoit?IndiangovernmentofficialswenttoKuwaittomeetSaddamHussainandgethimonboardthearrangedrepatriationofIndiannationals.AsthehelpreachedonAugust14(12daysaftertheinvasionhadtakenplace),IndiancitizenswereangryastheywereexpectingaquickerinterventionbytheIndiangovernment.But,thethenForeignMinisterI.K.Gujralquicklybroughtthecrowdundercontrolandinnotimehadthemshouting“BharatMatakiJai”.Initially,afewmilitaryaircraftswerearrangedtoevacuatetheelderly,womenandchildren.Butduetoalengthyairspaceclearanceprocedure,thisdidnotseemlikeafeasiblesolution.SothegovernmentturnedtoAirIndiaforassistance.TheIndianAirForcedeployeditsIL76aircraftforasteadycommunicationlinkbetweenKuwaitandDelhigovernmentofficials.Thesituationwassevereandrequiredimmediatehelpandattention.TheKeralagovernmentcameforwardanddispatchedfooditemsfortheIndiannationalsinKuwait.Therewerefarmorepeopletobeevacuatedthanexpected.But,thecoordinationandteamworkofthepeopleonthemissionmanagedtoevacuatealltheIndiannationalsoutofthecountry.TherewasalsoaPakistaniAirlinecrewstrandedinKuwaitandtheywishedtobeevacuatedbyIndianaircrafts.Onhumanitariangrounds,theIndianofficialsagreed.ThesuccessfuloperationthatstartedonAugust141990,continuedforalmost2monthsandcreatedhistory,finallycomingtoanendonOctober11.source:http://www.thebetterindia.com/15179/heres-need-know-largest-air-evacuation-history-india/(copyrightreservedtoquot;TheBetterIndiaquot;)