The Dutch contribution to Operation Falah Watra
The Dutch Government sent HNLMS Rotterdam, the amphibian transport ship, to Suriname to assist during the flooding. The Dutch contribution comprised a liaison team and 4 Lynx helicopters, supported by a Belgian Alouette helicopter.
The helicopters flew emergency aid packages to remote areas in the flooded hinterlands for a period of 9 days. The liaison team in Paramaribo, the capital city of Suriname, coordinated deployment of the helicopters together with the Surinamese Government’s crisis response team and the United Nations. In addition to this military deployment, the Netherlands Minister of Defence also made 30 tons of relief goods available. The helicopters were withdrawn on 25 May 2006 after water levels in the disaster area had dropped.