UK military to end relief efforts in Aceh

UK military to end relief efforts in Aceh

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The British military will complete its relief mission in Aceh and
North Sumatra provinces on Sunday, the British Embassy in Jakarta
said.

The military team, which started work on Jan. 2, has been
delivering aid to isolated communities in the tsunami-stricken
areas.

"The Army Air Corps of helicopters, which is the last UK
military presence to depart Aceh, has delivered more than 244,000
pounds of aid in 209 sorties, conducted 7 medical evacuations and
transported 59 people who were displaced as a result of the
disaster," the statement said.

The UK government pledged US$135 million for relief and
recovery in Indonesia's tsunami-affected regions, while the
British public contributed over $470 million in private donations
for the relief efforts throughout the tsunami-affected Indian
Ocean region.

The British military also contributed to the aid efforts
through the deployment of a civilian-military team to help
coordinate the joint Indonesian military, foreign military and UN
relief operations.

"I am delighted with the contribution that British military
personnel have made to the relief effort. Working with the
Indonesian military, other foreign militaries and the UN
agencies, British military units have worked expertly and with
admirable enthusiasm," Charles Humfrey, the British Ambassador to
Indonesia, said.

The Royal Air Force had also flown 11 heavy-lift C17 cargo
aircraft flights into Aceh, delivering as much as 170,000 pounds
of aid and equipment on each flight. --JP