Two US Marine aircraft in Dhaka with medical teams

Two aircraft of the United States Marine Corps reached Dhaka early yesterday to provide medical services for the people in the cyclone-hit areas.
During a press briefing at the Armed Forces Division (AFD), General Staff Officer-1 Lt Col Mainullah Chowdhury said that two C-130 Hercules landed at Zia International Airport around Sunday midnight.
“There's a discussion going on at the government level to decide how they will work in the affected areas,” he said replying to a query.
Another US team which was already in the capital has joined the marines, he added.
The AFD, which is overseeing the emergency aid and rescue operations, has recorded 3,113 deaths and 3,322 injured as of 4:00pm yesterday. It also has reports of 1,063 missing.
Referring to newspaper reports that bodies are floating off the coast, Lt Col Mainullah said, “Nothing like that is happening there.”
He said as of yesterday, the armed forces have been able to reach 70 percent of the villages ravaged by Thursday's storm. Besides, they have air dropped relief materials in the areas they could not yet gain access to.
So far 1 million families have been estimated to be affected in Cyclone Sidr while 3.5 million people are homeless.
The GSO-1 said they would be able to restore road links between Barisal and Pirojpur by yesterday evening while it would take a few more days to have the other inter-district roads operative.
He said they have yet to restore power supply in four districts--Barguna, Pirojpur, Jhalakathi and Shariatpur. “But we are working at full throttle to have the job done,” he said.
Two water purification plants under 55th Division have been installed at Sarankhola and Patuakhali to ensure supply of drinking water while naval ships too are distributing water among the affected people.
Mainullah said, "The coast guard members are also doing a commendable job."
The armed forces have been distributing food among the cyclone victims through gruel kitchens opened in the affected districts.
ARMY CHIEF TO VISIT CYCLONE-HIT AREAS
Chief of Army Staff General Moeen U Ahmed will visit the cyclone-hit areas today, said a press release from the Inter Services Public Relations.
He will inspect relief and rescue operations at Galachipa, Patuakhali, Mathbaria, Pirojpur, Sarankhola, Bagerhat and Barisal and hand out relief materials among the victims.
BANGLADESH NAVY
Sources said 13 vessels of Bangladesh Navy are conducting rescue and relief works since the Sidr hit the country. Seven ships are engaged in the worst hit south-western region and the remaining in the Chittagong region.
The naval force has so far distributed 8700 kg rice, 2900 kg lentil, 3700 litre edible oil, 400 kg puffed rice, 1700 cartons of biscuits and 3700 bundles of corrugated iron sheets from its own reserve.
Three large naval ships-- Turag, Karotowa and Surma-- are working in the hard hit Barguna region while three others-- Tallashi, LCT101 and Shahid Akhtaruddin-- in Patuakhali and Dublarchar, and another vessel Madhumati in Mongla and Bagerhat.
Naval frigates Omar Faruk, Abu Bakar, Sangu, Madhumati, Sagar and Nirvoy are covering the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar region, sources added.
"Bangladesh Navy has given basic rescue and relief supports to the victims for 48 hours since the cyclone hit the country. Later Bangladesh Army and Bangladesh Air Force joined the rescue and relief works," according to an official.
BANGLADESH AIR FORCE
Bangladesh Air Force continued its relief activities in remote cyclone affected areas using its helicopters and aircrafts.
The air force personnel reached 130 tonnes of relief materials to the affected people since November 16, sources said.
The areas where relief materials were sent are Hiron Point, Dublarchar, Kuakata, Mathbaria, Bhandaria, Amtoli, Barguna, Patharghata, Sarankhola, Kalapara, Galachipa, Mirzaganj, Kathalia and South Khali.
The relief materials include rice, lentil, flour, flattened rice, salt, mineral water, saree, lungi, candle and biscuit.
COAST GUARD
Bangladesh Coast Guard personnel rescued 14 fishermen from Kachukhali, Dimarchar, Pakkhirchar, Katka, Sopati and its adjacent areas on November 16 and sent them to their respective areas after primary treatment, said a coast guard press release.
Later, two coast guard ships CGS Bogra and CGS Patuakhali were sent to Patharghata, Sopati, Chanderswar, Kachukhali, Dimarchar, Pakkhirchar and Katka with water purification tablets, fresh water, emergency medicine, 1,296 kg flattened rice, 260 kg molasses and other relief materials.
Coast Guard ship CGS Tanveer will be sent to the affected areas with more relief materials.
BANGLADESH RIFLES
Paramilitary Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) troops yesterday launched a succour campaign called “Operation Manusher Jonno” for Sidr victims alongside its Dal-Bhat programme to smoothen supply lines of essentials, reports BSS.
"We call upon Dhaka residents to join our campaign that offers food and clothes to the cyclone survivors in the south-western coastlines," BDR's Dhaka Sector Commander Col Mojibul Haq told a press briefing at the BDR headquarters in the capital.
He said people could send their assistance to 40 BDR-run fair price shops or the Rifles headquarters at Pilkhana in the capital.
Col Haq said winter clothes, blankets, tents, oral saline, polythene to make tents, pure water, water purifying tablets, paracitamol tablets, cooking materials, match boxes and candles will be of great use for the victims.
The BDR commander said they had already reached 40 tonnes of relief materials to the cyclone survivors in coordination with the armed forces division and planned to reach a total of 1,650 tonnes in next several days.
The contact numbers for reaching relief materials are 01713-443824 or 8616545-55 with extension 405.