The loading of the plane at the Okęcie military airport was coordinated by the National Center for Coordination of Rescue Operations and Protection of Population at the National Headquarters of the State Fire Services. The humanitarian transport includes c.a. 3000 kg of medical dressing materials and drugs and ca. 600 kg of plasma donated by the Ministry of National Defence, ca. 720 kg of medical dressing materials donated by the Ministry of Health and ca. 250 kg of drugs donated by Caritas. The dressing materials were donated by the Material Reserves Agency on the basis of a decision issued by the Minister of Economy.

The five-year-old CASA is commanded by an experienced airforce officer – captain Robert Mieszaniec of the 13th Transport Airforce Squadron from Cracow. The crew is composed of 6 people. The plane shall reach Tbilisi after an intermediate landing in Ankara.

A total of 4,5 tonne of medical materials was on board of the plane, including medical dressings, surgical gloves, splints, hydrogen peroxide solution gel and disinfecting sprays. The crew of the Airbase One helped in the loading.

The flight, one of the first humanitarian transports to Georgia, was possible thanks to the efficient action of Polish ministries coordinated by the National Center for Coordination of Rescue Operations and Protection of Population at the National Headquarters of the State Fire Services. The decision concerning the first Polish humanitarian transport was taken yesterday (August 13) during the meeting of a working group composed of the representatives of the Ministries of Interior and Administration, Foreign Affairs, National Defence and Finance, devoted to a discussion of the possibilities of granting humanitarian aid to Georgia and the logistic capacities in this field. A decision was taken then to estimate the possibilities of satisfying the real humanitarian needs of Georgia, confirmed by its authorities and declared by international (NATO, EU, UN) and bilateral channels. On August 12th, the Prime Minister decided to assign the coordination of all the tasks carried out by public administration authorities in relation to granting Georgia humanitarian aid to the Minister of Interior and Administration.

This task is carried out, in the name of the Minister of Interior and Administration, by the Chief of National Civil Defence – the Commander-in-Chief of the State Fire Services, via the National Center for Coordination of Rescue Operations and Protection of Population.