Dutch Navy sends ships to Haiti for relief

The Royal Netherlands Navy said it has sent the Caribbean-stationed offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Holland and logistic support vessel HNLMS Pelikaan to Haiti in wake of the hurricane Mathew which has killed as many as 900 Haitians after it reached the Caribbean region on October 4.

Holland headed to Haiti with a detachment of marines, a team of engineers, military doctors and nurses and Red Cross members.

The Dutch Navy said the ship also had a hydrographic team on board to make sure the ship can dock with relief supplies.

The ships are initially expected to stay in the region for a week.

The U.S. Navy already has a number of amphibious transport ships and an aircraft carrier providing help to the people of Haiti whose homes and crops were destroyed and livestock was swept away as the hurricane hit the country’s southern coast. Several people have been confirmed dead while the death toll is expected to rise as authorities assess the damage.

Haiti has been hit by a number of natural disasters during the last decade including floods, storms and an outbreak of cholera in 2010.