Imtiaz Sooliman – Gift of the Givers unable to access flood victims in Lia

Well, as the world mobilizes to assist emergency services deal

with the aftermath of that catastrophic flood, aid is now

pouring in for the North African country. In fact, gift of the

givers is also lending a hand, and founder, Imtiaz Suleiman joins us

this morning to give us an update on the situation. Dr Suleman, it's

good to talk to you. Thanks very much indeed for coming on. Give us

a sense of how gift to the givers is stepping in.

Good morning, Michelle, the actual assistance they required from us

initially, I mean, from the Libyan presidency, the ministers, the

disaster center, the ambassador in South Africa, the Libyan doctors

in South Africa, students on the ground in different areas in Derna

Tripoli, the urgent request was for rescue, specialized rescue

personnel, both search and rescue, because though this is a flood,

it's very in effect like a Southern tsunami, because it

brought brought the buildings down like an earthquake, and that water

struck all over and flooding everywhere. So they needed search

and rescue teams and specialized equipment. They needed aquatic

teams. They needed medical teams. They needed boats. We've got a

life located to see where people are live. We will got dog handlers

and canines. Saps is our partner. So they required all that kind of

stuff as a priority. We will, we have teams. That is 70 people

ready to go, and there's no way we can get into Libya. You know,

there's very few

airlines that fly into the country and where we need to go is quite

far from where the planes fly to group was the closest border,

about a town, 180 kilometers from Ghana. And the best option, the

safest option, because of the different armed groups in the

country, two governments hostage taking. The safest bet was to

charter plane. We tried but nine different companies, nobody was

prepared to fly to Libya, and eventually one company came at a

cost of 16 million ran off. So that just didn't work. The

alternative was to provide them supplies which they need, and

that's what we busy what right now we visit procuring medicines

inside Dubai, but the companies that we worked for in the past,

and we visit providing supplies in South Africa. The European

government has then said it will send a plane to fetch the supplies

from us in South Africa, and we send more than one plane for us to

support them. So as it stands now, Dr Suleman, given everything that

you've just outlined, you have not been able to get those specialist

teams into the country just yet.

No, we can't get them in because nobody prepared to fly there. The

Libyan government then offered to send a plane to fetch us. But we

don't operate that way. The security of my teams come first.

More important than getting in is, how do you get out? Especially if

there's armed conflict in the country, and if we don't control

like the aircraft going and coming out. I would never accept an

option when aircraft control is in a third party. Unfortunately, I

could accept that I couldn't put my teams at risk. So, so what's

the plan? Dr solimani, you say that you you are assisting in so

far as medicines and supply is concerned. Are you still doing

what you can to try and arrange yourself to get your teams into

the country. Is that still an option? No, that's not an option,

because they are. There's no aircraft companies going to start

in the next two days to start flying regular flights to Libya.

The importance is to have regular flights. The flights are not

regular, and they're not daily. If you have a crisis, you can't get

out in an emergency. If you have your own plane, you can park into

the country, next next door, and you can come within minutes to

fetch you. So that option is out, both in terms of availability and

in terms of cost, in terms of supplies. Yes, we can send

supplies, because it's a huge deal. They're telling us, look,

not much aid is coming to our country. We are desperate for for

aid. They wouldn't send a plane if they were not that desperate, you

know? And they said, real people to send more planes, because we

really need the support. And what they need now, critically, is body

bags. They said, We need 1000s of body bags, because the figures

you're seeing, it's far more worse than what you actually seeing and

you're wearing, you know, we're on site, and that information is

coming from doctors, from students, from people on the

ground, all said, it's just horrific. Tamara bodies all over

the show. And the second thing they ask you now for is formula.

Preserve the bodies, especially since they decomposing so pre

burial, they need formula. They lead large quantities upon a

formula. Then of course, they need antibiotics and energetics of

pain, our whole range of education items, items for theater, theater,

medication, anesthetics, all those kind of items which we are

procuring. And then they said, because they can't drink the water

they want, like rehydration solutions, which, which, you don't

need some water, but it must be ready to drink immediately because

the water is unsafe. And then, by the same token, they want food

that's ready to eat. All those items we have, you know, which we

can send to them.

Sure, a devastating situation. And as you say, Dr Suleman, you've got

your teams, not your teams, but you've got contact in Libya

describing that situation to you there. What I can say, Dr Suleman,

is that it's really a major loss for that country that gives.

To the givers is not able to be there, given the incredible work

done by the organization,

my teams feel very sad, Michelle, you know what? Because we

specialize in this life savings, our speciality bringing closure to

people is what we do best, and it's such a fantastic partnership

with South Bank. EMS, lepou Ems, both have embassies around from

both provinces, police, sapogas, the national government, Detroit,

state security, everybody's has been informed and as such. And of

course, canine, from the sapsa dog analyst, everybody wants to work

together. It's great experience for South Africa. It's great for

an African country, not another African country. But the risk

because of the absence of a plight is to higher the cost if

government puts up a plane and we turn our control and say, Look,

we're taking you, our government is taking us across, wait and to

come back, bring you back, that's a different option, but it's a

very costly business. Just a plane alone, 16 million from the airline

company. What about all the goods you still got to put inside? Yeah,

yeah, absolutely. I mean, I'm surprised as well. Dr Suleman,

just given the volatility that we know exists in Libya, that we even

have people who are willing to get on a plane, if indeed you were

able to do that, and to go to the country, to do the incredible work

that you do.

Well, we have been to a higher situations before, but always, as

I said, the exit plan is more important. Exit Strategy is more

important than the entry. We always have that in place before

we go, we just need to remind the viewers that her co founder, the

South African from swelling down, was taken hostage in Libya, you

know, and it's still a hostage. It's going to be in November, is

going to be six years in captivity.

Yeah, the risk is incredible. The risk is undeniable.

Yes, so you know, and as a responsible team leader, you can't

put 70 people's life settlers. They've got families, they're

working, they've got income. They've got to look after the

virus, the children. I can't take a dislike. My rule is very clear.

My team comes first, you know, not not victims of a disaster. It's a

standard rule, which I'm not ashamed to say, my team members

come first, because I need them in other disasters too. Dr MTS.

Sullivan, it's always a great pleasure and honor talking to you

sir. Thanks very much indeed for coming on give to the givers,

despite challenges, still doing what they can to assist the

situation following the Libyan floods. Dr Silvan, thanks very

much indeed. You.