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US helps cyclone survivors in Bangladesh
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — U.S. helicopters airlifted clean water, food and medical supplies Wednesday to thousands of survivors of Cyclone Sidr left hungry and homeless in Bangladesh.
"We will continue to provide more support," said Geeta Pasi, charge d' affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka.
The United States, which has already provided more than US$14.4 million (euro9.7 million) in emergency funds, handed out water purification treatment units, four 10,000-liter water storage units, 2,400 jerry cans and 10,000 blankets in battered southwestern Bangladesh.
Helicopters from the USS Kearsarge, anchored off the Bangladesh coast, airlifted the goods from Dhaka's airport to Barisal for distribution among survivors in Patuakhali, Bagerhat and other badly affected areas, Pasi said.
Denise Rollins, mission director of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said they were working with the Bangladesh government to tackle any possible food crisis.
"Food is a major issue. We and other donors are thinking about how we can respond to the government's appeal," Rollins said at the airport, where officials were gathered to distribute the goods.
The Bangladesh government asked foreign donors on Tuesday for 500,000 tons of rice to prevent possible food shortages after Cyclone Sidr damaged large areas of rice fields.
The official death toll from the cyclone, which hit Bangladesh Nov. 15, is 3,243. Another 1,180 are missing and 34,500 people were injured, according to the Food and Disaster Management Ministry.
M. Aiyub Miah, secretary to the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management, welcomed the U.S. assistance.
"We are happy that we are getting a positive response," Miah said.
The British government is airlifting 43,000 blankets and 24,000 jerry cans from Abu Dhabi, its Department for International Development said.
Separately, UNICEF is planning about 400 daycare centers for homeless children in the devastated region in coming weeks, it said.
The agency plans to supply blended food for about 338,000 children under five years and for 123,500 pregnant women, it said in a statement.
About 600,000 children under five have been affected by the cyclone, UNICEF said.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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