The New Nation - Internet Edition

Syed Zahirul Abedin

The sufferings of thousands of survivors of cyclone in southern districts mounted yesterday as rescuers struggled to get food and water to stricken villages in remote areas.

US Navy helicopters began delivering emergency supplies to survivors in a joint relief operation, officials said.

Helicopters from the US battleship USS Kearsarge delivered dry food and bottled water to thousands of hungry and exhausted families living in remote areas of Dublar Char, Bagherat and Barguna, the worst affected districts.

The US Marine Corps set up an air bridge between its makeshift operation base in Barisal city and the warship.

Communications Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) MA Matin, who has been coordinating the post-cyclone relief operations from Barisal, said foreign forces, including the US Marines came to serve distressed people in Bangladesh and would not stay a single more day than required for relief and rehabilitation work.

During a short briefing at Barisal Airport yesterday noon, he was in the Bangladesh Army during the devastating cyclone in 1991 and he witnessed how the US armed forces stood beside the affected people in Bangladesh at that time, our Barisal Correspondent reports.

"It could take many more days for us what the US forces had done in 10 to 12 days at that time," he said. "So, they are serving for the sake of us and there should not be any confusion or question about their noble objectives and humanitarian activities during their stay in Bangladesh," he added.

The Marines arrived in Bangladesh at the weekend on a humanitarian mission to help the people cope with the aftermath of the cyclone.

Four teams of US marines started work at Southkhali and Dublarchar in Bagerhat district, Bamna in Barguna district and Kalapara, Rangabali and Dashmina in Patuakhali district from yesterday.

They already made necessary arrangements for purifying and supplying of drinking water, along with relief items and medical supplies. Soon, they will open a 125-bed hospital at the worst-affected Mirzaganj upazila town to prevent and treat diarrhoea patients.

Besides, a total of 104 members of Pakistan Army medical team with ambulance, medicines and other medical equipment are working at Mathbaria, Zia Nagar and Patharghata upazilas and adjacent areas.

A 30-bed field-hospital, equipped with an operation theatre has also been opened by Pakistan Army at Bhandaria upazila town of Pirojpur district to serve the cyclone affected people.

In the cyclone-affected areas, 424 medical teams are now working. Besides, relief and rehabilitation work, including repairing and constructing houses and restoring road communications are going on in cooperation with the Bangladesh Armed Forces.

The distressed farmers and fishermen would be provided bank loans on easy terms. Steps would also be taken for their rehabilitation, said Adviser MA Matin.

The Communications Adviser also warned that any kind of indiscipline, mismanagement, misappropriation, corruption and black marketing of relief materials and cash, hoarding and price hike of essentials would not be tolerated in any way.

After the briefing, the Adviser flew over the cyclone-affected Barguna in a helicopter.

Major General Rafiqul Islam, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 55th Division of the Bangladesh Army was also present during the briefing.

Two US helicopters carrying 2,500 gallons of drinking water left Barisal Airport for cyclone-affected areas yesterday. Four planes of Bangladesh Army and Air Force offloaded 50 tons of relief items, medicines, blankets for the cyclone SIDR affected people.

The caretaker government put together a rescue and search operation of their own initially, but that needed more coordinated efforts.

U.S. troops will also deliver food and other supplies, help set up water purification plants, and provide medical care to victims in the coming days, Bangladesh Army officials said.

"Our first priority is get food, water and clothes to the survivors," said Army Chief Gen Moeen U Ahmed after meeting the US officials.

Aid workers' attempts to deliver critical supplies and medical services have been hampered by blocked or dilapidated roads.

On Saturday, a section of a bridge collapsed and fell into a river under the weight of thousands of survivors stampeding for food in southern Patuakhali district, which left three people dead and dozens injured.

"We will fill the requirements as identified by the Bangladesh military," said U.S. Brig. Gen. Ronald L. Bailey, who is coordinating the relief operation.

Bangladesh has received pledges of international aid of more than $500 million, including $250 million from the World Bank.