Over $100 million fresh aid on way

Dhaka, Nov 28 (bdprem.com) � The United States has promised to continue to support cyclone survivors with food, clean water and medicine while Saudi Arabia has pledged $100 million in aid. Your Ad Here With the government pressing the donors for 500,000 tonnes of food aid to tackle any possible food shortage, the donors said they were thinking of ways on how they could respond to the appeal, said US officials in Dhaka. Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz announced the massive aid for rehabilitation of the survivors, said a press statement by the foreign ministry. The Saudi grants include medical supplies and other relief materials that would be airlifted by special Saudi Air Force planes, the statement said. Earlier in August, the Muslim nation had provided $50,000 for rehabilitation of the flood victims. US helicopters Wednesday airlifted relief materials from Zia International Airport after the country arranged additional supplies for the cyclone victims left hungry amid pledge that the US would continue its support. Geeta Pasi, charge d' affaires at the US Embassy in Dhaka, said the US army was working with the Bangladesh Army to help the survivors. "We'll continue to provide more support," Pasi told reporters at ZIA as she along with other officials had a look at the consignment of relief materials. The US, which has already provided more than $14.4 million in emergency funds, Wednesday handed out four water purification treatment units, four 10,000-litre water storage units, 2,400 jerry cans and 10,000 blankets. USAID, the US's aid agency, would transfer the materials to its local NGO partners, Save the Children and the World Vision, for distribution among survivors in Barguna, Patuakhali and Pirojpur districts. Denise Rollins, USAID mission director, said they were working with the government to tackle any possible food crisis. "Food is a major issue," she said also at the airport. Rollins said the US and other donors were thinking about how they could respond to the government's appeal for 500,000 tonnes of food assistance. M Aiyub Mia, secretary to the food and disaster management ministry, welcomed the US assistance at the same programme. Separately, an official of the Bangladesh Army said China was willing to provide 1,000 tonnes of rice for the cyclone survivors. Lt Col Faruk Hosain in a news briefing in Dhaka cantonment said the promised rice would reach Bangladesh 'very soon' from China. A press statement by aid agency Muslim Aid said Wednesday that it was working with Canada and the UK-based International Relief and Development to stand by the cyclone survivors. The Muslim Aid has raised GBP 200,000 for relief and rehabilitation work while Canada allocated $300,000, said the statement. The statement quoted Canadian Member of Parliament Jim Karygiannis as saying that Canada would also continue its support to the survivors. "This is a very desperate situation. Canadian aid workers and their local partners are working to make a difference," Karygiannis, who visited the affected area, was quoted as saying. Switzerland has pledged another $300,000 after it had allocated initial $100,000 in emergency aid. The British government is airlifting 43,000 blankets and 24,000 jerry cans from Abu Dhabi, its official aid wing the Department for International Development said in a statement. UNICEF is planning about 400 daycare centres for homeless children in the devastated region in coming weeks, it said in another statement. The agency has planned to supply blended food for about 338,000 children under five years and for 123,500 pregnant women, it said. About 600,000 children under five have been affected by the cyclone, UNICEF said. The agency said it would also distribute high nutritional biscuits to children, pregnant and lactating women in the worst-hit Patuakhali, Barguna, Barisal, Bagerhat, Pirojpur and Jhalakathi districts. The latest official death toll from the cyclone, which struck the country on Nov 15, is 3,256. Another 1,180 are missing and 34,500 people were injured, according to the food and disaster management ministry.