NEPAL may be thousands of miles away, but Essex has responded to the terrible earthquake there as if it was a next door neighbour.

On the same day British survivors landed at Stansted, a team of 20 doctors from across the county, was preparing to fly to Katmandu.

With them, go Essex firefighters, emergency supplies, thousands of pounds worth of equipment.

Their destination is one of the remotest areas of the Himalayan kingdom, where the conditions they will face are likely to be gruelling and challenging.

Tragically, their arrival will come too late for thousands of victims. Yet the speed of response, and the handling of the complex logistics behind this operation, have been impressive.

Although the wait must seem agonising to those in Nepal, the turnaround time would have been far longer without the professionalism of those involved.

After the immediate rescue operation comes the aftermath, as Nepal is rebuilt and the long-term medical and humane issues are tackled.

Essex rescuers will need to get dug in for the long-haul, and the extent of their sacrifice and commitment should not be underestimated.

Nor should the generosity of thousands of people in Essex, who donated money and help.

Aashish Shah, a Nepalese doctor from Southend, has paid tribute to this response.

Nepal is in all our thoughts.