A shipment of relief items from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) left Singapore for Indonesia's Banda Aceh Saturday afternoon.

According to local media reports, it is the first time for ICRC to send relief supplies since its logistics base was established in Singapore on Jan. 1.

One hundred and sixty tons of goods including blankets, drinking water, fuel and tents, which are loaded on the landing craft ship, will provide 40,000 tsunami survivors in Aceh with shelter and sustenance.

The ship is expected to arrive in six days, and a regular sailing of supply from Singapore will reach Aceh every four to five days, according to ICRC.

It will begin to dispatch basic household items like cooking utensils and candles next week, and heavy vehicles, warehousing supplies and even a mobile hospital will be transported to Aceh by flight in the next few days.

Reports said that ICRC is looking for other means such as vessels to distribute its relief items enough for 300,000 people.

Also on Saturday, the mobile air traffic control tower from Singapore began its operation in Banda Aceh airport, which made it easier for the airport to deal with about 200 flight movements a day as relief supplies rushed in.   

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2005)