Indonesia to send food, medicine and blankets to cyclone-hit Myanmar

The Associated Press ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 05/07/2008 11:17 AM  |  Headlines

Indonesia, the country worst hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, said Wednesday it would soon send emergency aid worth US$1 million (euro640,000) to cyclone-hit Myanmar.

Two military planes carrying food, medicine, blankets and 55 relief workers would leave Thursday, said Maj. Gen. Syamsul Maarif, chief of Indonesia's disaster management coordination agency.

"The tragedy has reminded the president of the December 2004 tsunami," said a spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

"He decided Indonesia must help Myanmar," said the spokesman, Dino Pati Djalal.

Tropical Cyclone Nargis pounded the Southeast Asian country over the weekend with winds of up to 120 mph (195 kph). Myanmar said the storm killed more than 22,000 people.

The 2004 Asian tsunami killed more than 160,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province. (*)

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