The Indian Relief Effort

1. The Prime Minister of India has expressed India’s willingness to provide any assistance required by the other affected countries in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster and has announced an assistance package of over $22 million for Sri Lanka and over $2 million for Maldives. Indian relief and assistance efforts for Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Maldives are already underway. 27 ships, 19 helicopters, 6 naval aircraft and over 5000 Indian Navy personnel have been deployed for disaster relief operations. Indian Army and Indian Air Force assets have also been pressed into service. The ships are carrying 30 medical teams and over 360 tons of ration and stores. Thousands more naval personnel are employed ashore in supporting the disaster relief operation. The teams are looking at assuring supplies of food and safe drinking water, medical assistance, adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities, shelter, restoration of power, supply of water and the provision of rescue facilities, including diving equipment to meet any contingencies. The medical teams also have the task of preventing the spread of epidemics and diseases.

SRI LANKA

2. Four Indian Naval Ships sailed to Colombo on 27 Dec carrying medical stores and relief material. Six MI-17 helicopters also moved to Colombo on 27 Dec for search and rescue and relief missions. One of the naval vessels - INS Sandhayak - is being converted into a hospital ship. The others are ferrying supplies, clearing the harbours and helping helicopter operations. 20 tonnes of relief material was airlifted on 29 Dec from Bangalore to Colombo. Two Ilyushin-76 aircraft carrying military field hospitals have also been dispatched to Sri Lanka. Two more survey ships for Galle and three, including landing craft, departed for Galle and Trincomalee respectively on 30 Dec. The ships are carrying tentage, blankets, generator sets, food & medical supplies and medical teams, including doctors. Five medical camps have been set up in Sri Lanka including in far-flung areas. Clearing and survey of ports and harbours is being undertaken to facilitate their opening and normal operation. Dornier aircraft sorties are also being flown to supplement the relief supplies. In addition,one Indian Coast Guard ship will join the I N effort in Sri Lanka on 31 Dec.

MALDIVES

3. The relief effort being undertaken in the Maldives is similar to that underway in Sri Lanka above. Indian Naval ships Mysore (Destroyer), Udaygiri (Frigate) and Aditya (Tanker/Logistics ship), with four helicopters embarked between them, arrived Male on 27 Dec. The ships were carrying medicines, medical teams, water and water purification equipment, etc. An Indian Coast Guard Dornier aircraft also transported a medical team, 1000 kilos of food provisions and medicines from Male to Kadhdaou Islands, about 139 mile from Male, on 27 December, 2004. Two aircraft have been retained there for further assistance to drop relief material collected locally. In addition to the three ships and four helicopters providing relief measures in the Maldives, one Coast Guard ship will join on 31 Dec. Till now, nearly 28 tonnes of food packets have been airlifted to Male.

INDONESIA

4. Indian Naval ship Nirupak (Hydrographic survey ship) has been converted into a hospital ship and, at the request of the Indonesian Government, has departed for Bander Aceh on 30 Dec. The ship, which has a helicopter embarked, will arrive Bandar Aceh on 03 Jan with relief material, including medical and food supplies, and medical/sanitation teams. The ship has 10 officers and 240 sailors on board.