PR: 10

Jakarta, 10 February, 2005

UK military relief assistance to Aceh and North Sumatra, which began on 2 January, will finish on 13 February after numerous missions to assist the relief effort and deliver aid to isolated communities.

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 UK military also contributed to the aid effort through the deployment of a CIMIC (Civilian-Military) team to help co-ordinate the joint TNI, foreign military and UN relief operation, and the deployment of UK military experts to the headquarters of the World Food Project and the UN Joint Logistics Centre to help plan delivery of aid.

In addition, the Royal Air Force flew 11 heavy-lift C17 cargo aircraft flights into Banda Aceh, delivering as much as 170,000 pounds of aid and equipment on each flight.

The British Ambassador to Indonesia said:

“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.”

The Royal Navy’s hydrographic vessel, HMS Scott, remains in Indonesian waters while a team of British scientists, aided by two Indonesian naval officers, conduct a detailed examination of the seabed around the epicentre of the earthquake that produced the 26 December tsunami.

Notes for editors:

1. HMS Scott will sail to Singapore on completion of her survey on 15 February.

2. A full list of additional British Government assistance to the Indonesian earthquake and tsunami relief and recovery effort is below (Press Release no.9). The British public has also contributed over USD 470 million (£250 million) in private donations for the relief effort throughout the tsunami affected region.