Indian minister hands cyclone aid to Bangladesh

DHAKA - Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Bangladesh on Saturday for a short visit to see areas devastated by a cyclone two weeks ago, and meet government leaders.

At Dhaka airport, Mukherjee said India would export half a million tonnes of rice to Bangladesh to meet post-cyclone emergencies, waiving a ban by India on rice exports.

Indian officials in Dhaka said Mukherjee would express India's solidarity with Bangladesh after Cyclone Sidr struck on November 15, killing around 3,500 people, leaving millions homeless and thousands injured or missing.

It was the worst natural disaster to hit impoverished Bangladesh since 1991, when a cyclone killed 143,000 people.

Cyclone Sidr destroyed crops, livestock and fisheries, which officials said would be hard to restore.

The country's army-backed interim government has asked the international community for half a million tonnes in emergency food aid by next March.

Mukherjee handed over Indian relief goods, including milk powder, blankets, water filters, food and medicine to Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury, foreign affairs adviser to the Bangladesh government, at the airport on Saturday.

"India offered to join efforts for rehabilitation of 10 severely affected coastal villages," Mukherjee said.

The Indian minister will meet the head of the caretaker government, Fakhruddin Ahmed, and other key government leaders before flying back to New Delhi later on Saturday.

IT'S A WAR AWAY FROM WAR

Relief supplies and aid pledges have poured into Bangladesh from around the globe, but help has been slow in reaching survivors, partly because many are in remote areas.

U.S. military helicopters and Bangladesh air force planes have dropped food, water and medicine to tens of thousands of people along the country's devastated coast.

A small airport in the coastal town of Barisal now looks like a mini U.S. air base with American Apache helicopters and cargo planes using the runway.

"It's a war away from war. I am equally happy to have participated in the Iraq war and now being part of a humanitarian mission to help cyclone-hit people in Bangladesh," said U.S. Marine Sergeant Jason Parker.

"I like this assignment ... helping many people to survive," said Parker, as helicopters from USS Kearsarge now 30 km (20 miles) off the Bangladesh coast, flew relief sorties.

Two U.S. air force personnel, also at Barisal, said they had fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as participated in humanitarian efforts in both countries.

"As a professional I am happy to be a warrior against terrorists and also a volunteer for the distressed people," said Sergeant James Vanbelkum.