BANDA ACEH, Indonesia – The U.S. military – the largest group helping tsunami survivors – will start withdrawing troops immediately from the relief effort to feed and house more than 1 million refugees, the U.S. Pacific commander said yesterday.
Aid organizations responded to the announcement by Adm. Thomas Fargo by pledging to shoulder more of the burden.
U.S. warships and helicopters "played a crucial role. . . . They're still playing that role," said Rob Holden, who leads a health assessment team from the United Nations, the U.S. military and other groups. "What we're trying to do . . . is civilianize the humanitarian operations because we're aware that we won't have military assets forever."
Speaking in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Fargo noted that the humanitarian missions in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and other countries affected by the Dec. 26 tsunami have moved from the "immediate relief phase . . . toward rehabilitation and reconstruction."
He suggested 15,000 U.S. troops would withdraw within 60 days, apparently meeting requests by Indonesian officials that foreign troops leave Aceh province on Sumatra island by the end of March.
At a news conference, Fargo said the U.S. military would "respond to specific requests of host nations," adding that Washington "is committed to what clearly will be a long-term recovery effort."
The withdrawal comes as the official death toll continues to climb. Almost four weeks after the disaster, reported deaths by government agencies in the affected countries range from nearly 158,000 to more than 221,000.
The U.S. Navy and Marines have delivered nearly 3.5 million pounds of aid supplies – about 150,000 pounds a day – since starting operations Jan. 1.
The U.N. World Food Program has distributed 5,600 tons of food to about 400,000 people in Aceh alone, said its Asia director, Tony Banbury. After visiting the obliterated coastal town of Meulaboh, Banbury said all tsunami survivors would be fed.
"We will get food aid to everyone who needs it," he said.
Still, worries over security in Aceh on the northern tip of Sumatra – where government forces and separatists rebels have fought for nearly three decades – threatened to complicate relief efforts.
Although the sides called a temporary cease-fire to facilitate the relief effort, a barrage of automatic gunfire was heard yesterday in the hills near the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, prompting residents of one refugee camp to run for cover.
It was unclear who fired the shots, but a local military commander acknowledged that an operation was under way in the area to counter rebel activity. No one was hurt, and the shooting did not appear to target refugees.
And at a U.N. conference in Kobe, Japan, wealthy nations pledged about $8 million for a network of detection buoys in the Indian Ocean to warn coastal residents of tsunamis. The pledges are enough to cover costs for the first year.