MSF continues the relief work in devastated remote area

The emergency teams found that the situation is worse than estimation

MSF is continuing the relief work and assessment in the six affected countries. The emergency teams found that the situation is worse than estimation, especially for those in remote places. Follow by sending 32 tons medical and sanitation materials to Indonesia, a full charter with 30 tons will leave tomorrow from Bordeaux, France to Colombo, Sri Lanka. It includes water sanitation system, medical and surgical material. There is a kit to set up a hospital to care for 10,000 people for three months. The following are summary of MSF activities in the crisis regions:

Sri Lanka
Looting has been reported in Galle, and a curfew has been imposed. Some roads are blocked, including many coastal roads. Some hospitals and health centres are badly affected.

Multiple teams of MSF have arrived Sri Lanka. A six person team including a surgeon, a doctor, a nurse and two logisticians arrived in Colombo. They have met with a local logistician, who has already made some assessments and reports that the whole of the east coast has been affected. The team will go to the north east part of Sri Lanka, where MSF was working before, and are heading for the coastal town of Batticaloa in the first instance. They know that there was already a very vulnerable population there living in shacks in the area just south of Batticaloa even before the tsunami hit.

A full charter with 30 tons leaves tomorrow from Bordeaux, France to Colombo. It includes watsan medical and surgical material. There is a kit to set up a hospital to care for 10,000 people for three months.

Another team of MSF has also arrived Colombo and are on their way to Ampara. They will begin an explo mission in the south-eastern part and to explore the south of Ampara.

Indonesia
The full charter from Ostende, Belgium will soon arrive Medan (just outside Aceh) with 32 tons of medical and sanitary materials. Meanwhile, a logistician is heading to Medan. He will get a helicopter and will fly with it to Banda Aceh, assessing the northeast coast (400km long) as he goes.

A team of 8 people arrived Banda Aceh yesterday evening. There are 3.5 tonnes of medical supplies also on board.

Thailand
A team of MSF is carrying out an assessment in Phuket. First findings are that needs are not as big as expected, but assessment continues. Logistics team is collecting information in order to buy relief non-food items such as blankets on the local markets.

Malaysia
The assessment team went to some small coastal villages north of Penang. There are no big needs, from what they have seen.

Myanmar (Burma)
The Myanmar authorities have officially said that 90 people were killed. The most affected area is in the South around Kawthoung. A team is heading to Myiek, in the far south of Myanmar, to carry out an exploratory mission. They will assess the area in the South of Myeik towards Kawthoung and nearby islands. The team has taken some emergency materials with them such as chlorine, blankets, drugs, dressing materials.

India
A team arrived Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu and went further south to Nagapattinam (the worst hit district). The coastal areas have been severely affected and families are still hunting for missing people.

There has been a strong response from the government and local communities. Bodies have already been collected and burnt. They are re-establishing the electricity supply in order to get the water pumps running again with clean water. The Ministry of Health has mobilised extra staff and have set up "health camps" access is free for everyone. The hospitals seem to be well supplied with drugs and materials. The principal problem for the community at the moment seems to be psychological trauma.

Teams are looking into getting authorisation to assess the Nicobar and Andaman islands. These are part of India, located in the Andaman Sea, just north of Aceh, not far from the epicentre of the earthquake.

Other Locations
It is thought that about 200-300 people were killed in Somalia V mainly fishermen. From what teams have seen so far, there has been some minor destruction of houses, but nothing more serious. No plans for earthquake-related operations to begin for any section.