By IANS
Dhaka : The US has launched special relief operations in cyclone-hit areas of Bangladesh’s southern coast, bringing food, drinking water and other supplies to the disaster-struck people in the country.
The first sortie was by a pair of Marine helicopters that lifted from the USS Kearsarge with loads of bottled water. The 750-gallon shipment of water was delivered to a relief-supply distribution centre in the southern city of Barisal, according to New Age newspaper.
“I feel ecstatic,” said Captain Andrew Traynor, a CH-46E helicopter pilot with the Aviation Combat Element for the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable).
“This mission can show that the US military is not all about combat; we are here to help people,” he added.
Kearsarge and elements of the embarked 22nd MEU arrived off the coast of Bangladesh early Saturday, a day after hundreds of activists of Hizbut Tehrir, an Islamist outfit, protested on the streets of Dhaka against the US military presence, saying it was “a shame for the Muslims”.
Tehrir has been protesting the US presence in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The cyclone, Sidr, hit Bangladesh Nov 15 when it struck offshore islands and made landfall across the southern coast from Cox’s Bazaar in the east toward the Satkhira districts in the west. As of Nov 24, according to the official reports, more than 6.8 million people were affected, with a death toll of over 3,000.
“The delivery today (Saturday) is a start, but there is more work to be done,” said Col. Doug Stilwell, commanding officer of the 22nd MEU (SOC). “The Bangladesh government and military, in conjunction with relief agencies, are responding well to the situation… We will reinforce and support that effort.”
To focus on the US military efforts on supporting the government relief operations, a team of key military representatives met with representatives of the Bangladesh military, United States Agency for International Development and the US embassy.
A team from Kearsarge led by Rear Admiral Carol M. Pottenger, commander of Task Force 76, was also present at the meeting.
Stilwell said, “We want to support in a way that will have the most impact on reducing further loss of life and relieving human sufferings.’
The 22nd MEU (SOC) consists of aviation combat element, a Marine medium helicopter squadron, ground combat element, battalion landing team, 3rd battalion, 8th Marine regiment, logistics combat element and Combat Logistics Battalion 22.
Elements of the unit remain afloat on USS Gunston Hall and USS Ponce in US central command’s area of responsibility. The unit is on a scheduled six-month deployment.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has called on the government to immediately work out plans for road and infrastructure reconstruction in the Sidr-hit areas before the monsoon in addition to safety net supports and income generation schemes.
The world body in an assessment report recommended that sufficient human and material resources should be dedicated to relief operations in which the government should ensure a well-concerted, efficient, effective, and timely response.
Four agencies of the United Nations prepared the report, The United Nations Rapid Initial Assessment Report with a Focus on Nine Worst-Affected Districts, which has found 4.7 million people affected in the cyclone.
Some 2.6 million people, mostly poor, are in need of immediate life and livelihood assistance, said the report submitted to the government Thursday.
The report stressed the need for immediate recovery and rehabilitation efforts and the continuation of such efforts for a minimum of two to three months, and even for a longer period in the worst hit areas.
The UN agencies increased its central emergency response fund allocation to $14.7 million for Bangladesh cyclone victims, brining the total UN response to about $35 million, media reports said.