Stocking supplies at UN site ‘will save thousands of lives’

LOCATING Irish aid supplies like tents and blankets at a UN hub in Italy will save thousands of lives in natural disasters, a leading UN aid coordinator said yesterday.

The Government signed a €1.5 million deal with the UN World Food Programme to pre-position the materials at its rapid response centre in the port of Brindisi.

The supplies, which also include cooking utensils, mosquito nets, and water and sanitation equipment, will also be stocked on a smaller scale in the Curragh Camp as it is close to Dublin Airport and Baldonnel Airport.