A CONVOY of ambulances and trucks filled with medical supplies set off yesterday on a 2,500 mile journey from Cork to Belarus, where it should arrive on the 11th anniversary of the explosion of the nuclear reactor at Chernobyl.
The aid, which includes 32 ambulances, was collected by the Chernobyl Children's Project and is valued at £2.5 million. It brings the value of the aid already sent by the Cork based project to the area affected by the Chernobyl disaster to £8 million.
The ambulances and eight trucks will be accompanied by 93 volunteers from Ireland, who will drive the vehicles on their journey through England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany and Poland.
They are due to arrive at Minsk, the capital of Belarus, on April 26th, the anniversary of the world's worst ever nuclear accident. The ambulances were collected and in some cases rebuilt by volunteers in a number of areas, including Kilkenny, Waterford and Cork. Much of the medical supplies were donated by pharmaceutical companies in Ireland.
The director of the Chernobyl Children's Project, Ms Adi Roche, said aid was needed more urgently than ever in Belarus now because of the worsening political situation in the country.
With a thyroid cancer rate of one in four - compared with the world average of one in 1,000 - among children being born in Belarus, medicines were vital.
"We are determined that humanitarian aid should reach its intended destinations in Belarus and western Russia and that the convoy should arrive in Minsk for the 11th anniversary to show solidarity with the victims of Chernobyl," said Ms Roche.
The convoy was led out of Capwell Bus Eireann station in Cork by a pipe band and had a Garda escort through the city.