U.S. urges Asia-Pacific air forces to work together in disaster response planning

The Associated Press , Kuala Lumpur | Tue, 07/22/2008 1:17 PM | World

The United States has urged Asia-Pacific air forces to plan and cooperate more in disaster relief efforts, saying Tuesday that the region faces a "tremendous potential" for calamities like Myanmar's Cyclone Nargis.

Lt. Gen. Loyd Utterback, the U.S. 13th Air Force commander, told his counterparts from 19 countries at a conference in Malaysia that they should understand each other's capabilities and learn how to swiftly deliver humanitarian assistance.

"It's our responsibility and it's our calling ... to be able to understand what each of us can bring to that next disaster that will come, hopefully later rather than sooner, here in the region," Utterback said while opening the forum on multilateral cooperation.

Utterback, who commands the military's air capabilities in the U.S. Pacific Command area, warned there was a "tremendous potential for disasters that can occur in this region."

"We must be prepared to take this on," Utterback said.

He highlighted Cyclone Nargis, which struck Myanmar in May, saying the junta's delay in allowing humanitarian aid contributed to the impact of the storm that killed at least 84,537 people. Another 53,836 are missing and presumed dead.

"The tragedy with Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar was something that could have been avoided. Not the fact that the weather and the floods came but the fact assistance and a helping hand did not come in a timely manner," he said.

Malaysian Royal Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Rodzali Daud also pressed for cooperation, saying "not a single country can single-handedly face the major disasters on its own."

Countries "need to be better prepared, especially in identifying potential disaster areas and stocking up the necessary relief equipment, food, water and medical necessities," Rodzali said.

Officials at the forum should discuss the possibility of sharing a database and establishing a joint command structure to manage the distribution of aid, he said.

"In case of disaster, we need to respond quickly without being hindered by bureaucratic intricacies," Rodzali said.

Other officials participating in the forum came from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.(**)