The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Massive relief operations were launched for thousands of people in cyclone-affected districts yesterday from the Relief and Rehabilitation Coordination Headquarters set up at Barisal Airport.

The Bangladesh Army, in cooperation with the United States Marine Corps launched a massive humanitarian mission for hundreds of thousands of cyclone survivors in southern districts by helicopters from a makeshift airbase in the river port of Barisal, officials said yesterday.

The US Marines arrived over the weekend aboard the US warship USS Kearsarge to help Bangladesh deal with the aftermath of the super- cyclone SIDR, which pulverized the fragile coastline on November 16.

Officials said that the new coordination center would ensure quick and better distribution of relief materials and logistic support to the thousands of cyclone victims.

"We're giving highest priority to the proper distribution of relief materials among the cyclone-affected people in a coordinated manner from Barisal," a senior government relief official told The New Nation yesterday.

Local disaster management officials said Barisal was chosen as the location for an airbase for the Marines in order to coordinate the delivery of food, bottled water and medicines to the stricken cyclone survivors.

Bangladesh Air Force is now flying relief goods with 13 helicopters and planes in the cyclone-hit areas, officials said.

Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed has said the Bangladesh Army would start distribution of food in the remote areas of the cyclone affected districts from today (Monday) in cooperation with the US Marines.

While receiving donations for the cyclone victims yesterday, he said as many as 96 makeshift helipads have already been constructed at the union level to ensure reaching the relief materials to the remote areas.

Different individuals and organisations yesterday donated Tk 6.10 crore to the Bangladesh Army's Relief Fund for the distressed people in the cyclone-affected areas.

Receiving the donations, the Army Chief conveyed his heartfelt thanks to them for standing beside the distressed humanity at this crucial period.

Moeen said right now the main objective of the Bangladesh Army is to send food to the remote areas. Members of the Bangladesh Army is working relentlessly in this regard.

The army chief also called for coordination in relief operations, as many survivors remained without adequate aid nine days after the cyclone ravaged 12 southern districts.

"Please coordinate with us, so that we can dispatch your relief goods to the survivors who need it most," General Moeen told them..

Moeen said US Navy ships had arrived to conduct relief operations for survivors in coordination with the Bangladesh government.

The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and another ship, the USS Essex are now in Bangladeshi waters to assist the authorities.

Each ship carries about 20 helicopters, which will help in delivering water, food and medical supplies to remote areas in the south and southwestern regions, officials said.

A pair of Marine helicopters carried 750 gallons (3,410 litres) of bottled waters yesterday from the USS Kearsarge to the southern coastal city of Barisal.

Government relief officials said the two ships would start full-fledged relief operations from today (Monday).

"If we can utilise the huge capabilities of the U.S. ships, we can successfully conduct a useful relief operation for the survivors," Moeen said.

On the other hand, the coordination committee held a meeting at the center at Barisal Airport yesterday morning, which was attended, among others, by the Army, Navy and Air Force officials.

After the meeting, Maj Gen Mohammad Rafiqul Islam, General Commanding Officer of Jessore Cantonment and Regional Coordinator of Relief Operations, told reporters that the property losses caused by cyclone is estimated at US$ 2.3 billion, or Tk 16,100 crore. The amount of assistance received so far is Tk 3,290 crore.

He said a mobile medical team of the US Army would start working in the cyclone ravaged areas from today.

"The relief operations have gathered pace with the arrival of more aid from donor countries, agencies and private charities. We've also got increased logistics support," said Navy commander Bashir Ahmed, who is coordinating help to the worst-hit Barguna district. Ahmed said he believed virtually all survivors had now received at least two deliveries of aid.

The needs, however, remained huge and it would take weeks to ensure adequate supplies to all victims, he added.

US marines from the USS Kearsarge were carrying out airlifts of water and other supplies for a second day, a US embassy official said.

In the badly-hit Patharghata town, local administrator Salim Khan told reporters supplies were finally reaching victims. "The emergency crisis is overcome," he said, adding, however, that more materials would be needed later.

Aid workers said getting fresh water to victims remained a priority as the prospect of outbreaks of water-borne diseases looms.

Many of those in coastal districts have seen their traditional sources of drinking water contaminated by saline water which cannot be treated by water purification tablets.

"Some 1,734 people are missing," said Major Nawrose, who uses one name, of the armed forces control room, adding that many of those unaccounted for were likely to have been swept away by the tidal surge.

Others were fishermen who "went out to sea before the cyclone and did not return, although we cannot say they are all dead yet," Nawrose added.

In Patharghata, popularly known as the fishing capital of Bangladesh, the industry directly supports 200,000 people.

Coastguards and the government's weather department had warned boats to stay in port as the cyclone approached. But many villagers told reporters that they did not take the warning seriously because of frequent previous alerts.

One person died and 10 more were seriously injured on Saturday when a bridge in village Kalapara in Patharghata of Patuakhali district collapsed under the weight of 1,000 people queueing for relief.

The United Nations estimates that the cyclone has affected 6.7 million people in 30 of the country's 64 districts, causing severe economic losses.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN said 92,000 hectares of crops had been ruined, 500,000 hectares partly damaged and around 350,000 livestock lost.

"Serious damage has also been observed in the fisheries and shrimp aquaculture sectors," a statement said.

About 4 million people in 12 districts in south-western Bangladesh were hit by the cyclone that razed villages, toppled trees and damaged road and rail lines. Most of the affected are poor fishermen, rice growers and shrimp farmers.

An estimated 1 million people have to be sheltered against the upcoming biting winter while another 2.6 million living in abject poverty need food provisions.

Meanwhile, more than two million cyclone survivors in Bangladesh's southwest coastal areas are in dire need of "immediate, life-saving" food assistance, the United Nations said in a rapid assessment report.

The report noted that immediate drinking water supplies are required for an estimated 1.2 million people, after the cyclone contaminated water wells in the worst affected areas.

The UN assessment also identified the rapid need to expand the distribution of nutritionally balanced rations of rice, pulses, oil and other foodstuffs. "Food and water are the highest priority needs to help the victims save their lives," the report said.

Materials such as tents, tarpaulins and corrugated iron sheets, wood, poles and tools are high priority items in the worst affected districts, where houses located near shorelines were the most damaged. "This is particularly urgent since temperatures are dropping with the advent of winter. Blankets and warm clothing are also important in this regard," the report added.

The quick repair of medical facilities and health clinics, the restoration of electricity and assistance in re-establishing sanitation facilities are also critical, according to the assessment report.