DHAKA, Bangladesh, Dec. 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. military's humanitarian mission to Bangladesh has been delivering needed supplies to fight waterborne illnesses in the wake of a cyclone disaster.
The U.S. Navy's amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge was performing maritime security operations off the coast of Somalia when Tropical Cyclone Sidr hit southwestern Bangladesh. The task force arrived off the Bangladeshi coast along with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit on Nov. 23 after traveling 3,000 miles over five days, the U.S. Navy reported.
"In support of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the troops have flown more than 21 sorties and delivered more than 9,000 gallons of water and 18,000 pounds of medical supplies. The United States is one of 25 countries providing more than $4 billion in aid," the release said.
Rear Adm. Carol Pottenger, commander of Navy task force 76, said one of the biggest concerns for the task force after the cyclone hit has been waterborne illnesses. Most of the fresh drinking water wells were destroyed by the storm. U.S. forces have treated and evaluated more than 600 patients to ward off waterborne trauma.
Officials say the task force has been utilizing the Kearsarge's ability to filter 200,000 gallons of water per day. Soldiers have been distributing the fresh water in 5-gallon containers to various locations.
Providing disaster assistance "is what the Navy task force and Marine expeditionary force are really good at," Pottenger said. "We watch every storm very carefully, and we recognized this as it headed to Bangladesh. This is very rewarding for every sailor and Marine involved in this effort."
