The Hindu : National : 'India prepared to join humanitarian effort'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

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National

'India prepared to join humanitarian effort'

By Our Diplomatic Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 30. India is willing to join a coordinating group with the United States, Japan and Australia to provide relief in the wake of Sunday's tsunami disaster, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said today.

According to him, the U.S. President, George W. Bush, and Secretary of State, Colin Powell, had spoken to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and the External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, about pooling resources to tackle the calamity in the countries worst hit. "It was conveyed that India would be prepared to join in this humanitarian effort," the spokesman told presspersons.

Following these conversations, a teleconference was held this morning between the U.S. Under Secretary of State, Marc Grossman, the Australian Permanent Secretary, Douglas Chester, the Director General of the Japanese Economic Cooperation Bureau, Sato, and the Foreign Secretary, Shyam Saran.

"This conference was initiated by Mr. Grossman in order to coordinate relief and rescue efforts and welcomed by the others." "The main purpose of the coordination effort is to avoid duplication of efforts, identify gaps in the relief process and find ways and means to address these deficiencies. A videoconference will be held tomorrow between the Washington-based Ambassadors of India, Australia and Japan with Mr. Grossman and the U.N. Secretary General, Kofi Annan. This group of four countries has agreed to work together closely with the U.N. and examine where the relief effort can best be channelised through the U.N.," he said.

The Foreign Secretary acquainted the other members of the group with the relief and rescue efforts already launched by India for Sri Lanka and Maldives, including substantial assistance being provided through deployment of Indian naval ships, aircraft and helicopters.

"These had been deeply appreciated by Sri Lanka and Maldives and are continuing. This could be expanded further as needed. As far as the disaster in South India and Island territories is concerned, India is confident that we will be able to deal with the challenges with our own resources and international relief therefore could be directed where it is most urgently required," the spokesman said. Another teleconference at the Foreign Secretary level, with Mr. Saran talking to his counterparts in the U.S. Japan and Australia, is likely to take place tomorrow.

'Ilyushin aircraft being sent'

The spokesman said that two Ilyushin-76 aircraft carrying military field hospitals were expected to reach Sri Lanka tomorrow. Earlier, four naval vessels and seven helicopters had been put into operation. "One of these naval vessels — INS Sandhayak — is being converted to a hospital ship. The others are doing work of ferrying the supplies, clearing the harbours and helping the helicopter operations."

Hospital ship

Similarly, another hospital ship, INS Nirupak, was leaving for Sumatra, Indonesia, tonight, carrying emergency rations, medicines, tents and first aid kits. It would have 10 officers and 240 sailors on board. In the Maldives, there are four aircraft and two naval ships already in operation. Supplies had been ferried by aircraft — Avros and Dorniers — and this had been evidently very successful because the Indian High Commission in Male had now said there was no further requirement of supplies excepting such specific items as water canisters.

Two of these aircraft had been placed at the disposal of the Maldivian authorities and the other two were being used for search and rescue operations. They were also being used for airdropping of food and water packages and medical supplies in different places, he added.

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