US Navy emergency relief operations in Bangladesh’s cyclone-battered coastal districts were formerly ended yesterday after two weeks of operation.

However, USAID would continue post-cyclone rehabilitation efforts.

USS Kearsarge and USS Tarawa, anchored off the coast of the Bay of Bengal, have conducted the “Operation Sea Angel II” emergency relief operation in two phases since November 23.

Bangladesh Army Chief General Moeen U Ahmed formally announced the ending of the US military emergency relief operations in the country’s cyclone affected districts on board the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa in the Bay of Bengal.

US Charge d’ Affaires Geeta Pasi, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury and senior Bangladesh Army and US Marine officials, including Col Doug Stilwell, Commanding Officer of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and Captain David F. Bean, Executive Officer of USS Tarawa were present.

The Army Chief, in a valedictory speech on board the USS Tarawa in the Bay of Bengal yesterday said the military relief operation had come to an end and Tarawa would leave soon.

General Moeen said with the help of US navy the government had succeeded to send food and drinking water to the cyclone-affected people.

The Army Chief said, “Though the government said that 2.6 million VGF (vulnerable group feeding) cards will be issued in the affected areas, we will provide as many VGF cards as required among the cyclone affected people.”

“We’ll also repair the affected schools in the cyclone battered areas.”

US Charge d’ Affaires Geeta Pasi, who was present on board the USS Tarawa, said civilian aid agencies, including the USAID, would carry on relief efforts in the cyclone affected areas.

“We call the US Navy’s relief operation as the “Operation Sea Angel II as the local people have termed it as Ashar Alo (Light of Hope), and we want to give Ashar Alo to the people of Bangladesh,” she said.

The Marines, with their long-range CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from the USS Tarawa, made final sorties yesterday, dropping food, water and medicine. The overall operations involved a fleet of 20 helicopters. USS Tarawa took over from the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge on November 3 in the Bay of Bengal.

During the relief operation by USS Tarawa, American sailors and marines, and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit delivered more than 113,000 kilograms of food and medicines and 54,000 liters (14,000 gallons) of drinking water. The US ships’ medical teams also treated 2,355 men, women and children suffering from bronchitis, skin problems, upper respiratory tract infections, ear infections and diarrhoea, the officials said.

The Tarawa also participated in relief operations in 1991 - dubbed Sea Angel I - when a powerful cyclone killed about 140,000 people in Chittagong region.

Earlier, Army Chief General Mooen U Ahmed visited the Central Relief Coordination Cell at Barisal Airport in the morning.

Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Masud Uddin Chowdhury accompanied the Army Chief.

The New Nation