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What is Canada’s Disaster Assistance Response Team and why was it sent to the Philippines?

A military rapid-response team known as DART is headed the Philippines to help after a devastating typhoon. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird says Ottawa will also match the donations of Canadians to registered charities.

The Canadian government has offered to help the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, and the country’s response includes a highly-respected response team capable of providing medical assistance and potable water as the country recovers from the devastation.

Nearly 1,000 people are confirmed dead and the death toll is expected to rise to at least 10,000, after a massive typhoon struck the central part of the country over the weekend. More than 600,000 people have been left homeless in its wake.

Central to Canada's aid strategy is the Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), a unit often dispatched to provide medical assistance and clean water to the most devastated regions.

A C-17 cargo plane left CFB Trenton Monday night with as many as 50 members of the 200-person response team and their equipment. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said they were ready to offer more assistance.

“It is clear that the devastation is real, although the extent of the destruction has yet to be fully discovered. Canada continues to work with international humanitarian partners, and its allies to determine what is required to meet the urgent needs of the Filipino people," he said in a statement.

[ Related: Tons of aid in Philippines, but scale of typhoon, other problems keep it from typhoon victims ]

According to the Canadian Army, DART is a rapid response unit capable of being dispatched in the aftermath of a disaster. Its intention is to help bridge the gap between the immediate response and long-term recovery efforts.

"The increased occurrence of sudden, extraordinary disasters and the subsequent humanitarian crises, coupled with the global community’s desire to respond to them, have clearly identified the need for nations to maintain disciplined and rapidly deployable military forces to support civilian-led activities in the delivery of humanitarian assistance," reads a government synopsis.

The team includes engineers trained to help rebuild infrastructure, a medical team, security personnel and logistics experts intended to help establish lines of communication. It also includes equipment capable of producing up to 50,000 litres of drinkable water per day.

DART has frequently been deployed in regions worst hit by disaster, and sadly the Philippines certainly fits that bill. The team was first dispatched in 1998 when a category-5 hurricane struck Honduras, killing 6,000 people and displacing as many as one million others.

DART was also dispatched:

  • In 1999, following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in Turkey. It treated 5,000 patients, cleared a local school and restored electricity to a medical clinic.

  • In 2004 following the tsunami in Sri Lanka. It treated 5,800 people in need of medical aid and produced more than 2.5 million litres of drinking water

  • In 2005, following an earthquake in Pakistan. It provided more than three million litres of clean drinking water and medical treatment for more than 11,000 people.

[ More Brew: Canada poised to send military plane to assist Philippines in wake of Typhoon Haiyan ]

DART was most recently deployed in 2010 when Haiti was struck by a massive earthquake, killing 300,000 and leaving one million people without homes. The team provided nearly 225,000 litres of drinkable water, more than 120,000 meals and provided much-needed medical help.

Canada has also provided $5 million in financial aid to the Philippines and has offered to match any donations made by Canadian citizens.

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