(AFP) – Nov 19, 2007

RIYADH (AFP) — Oil-rich Saudi Arabia led relief efforts for cyclone victims in Bangladesh Monday, pledging 100 million dollars in aid as US ships powered to the disaster zone with dozens of helicopters for evacuations.

Saudi King Abdullah also ordered the dispatch of food, medical and other relief assistance to the victims in the impoverished South Asian Muslim nation, according to a statement from the royal court.

The Jeddah-based Organisation of the Islamic Conference has called on governments and civil bodies in its 57 member states to send urgent assistance after Thursday's collossal storm in Bangladesh that swept entire villages away.

Soldiers and relief workers raced Monday to get aid to millions left homeless by the cyclone, as officials said the death toll had topped 3,100 and was certain to keep rising.

According to the Red Cross, the final toll could be anywhere between 5,000 and 10,000.

Bangladesh's top disaster management official told AFP on Monday that several nations had promised help, including "the United States, UK, Canada, Australia, Sweden and of course Saudi Arabia".

"We have received promises of 140 million dollars of foreign aid which includes 100 million dollars from Saudi Arabia and five million dollars from Britain," said Ayub Mia, the secretary for disaster management and relief.

"Tomorrow we are expecting two planes to fly in with food and relief items -- one is being sent by the Japanese and the other by the Americans."

The British government confirmed aid worth 2.5 million pounds (3.5 million euros, 5.1 million dollars), to be channelled through the United Nations and used to provide food, water, housing repairs and medical treatment.

In Brussels, the European Commission pledged a further five million euros (7.3 million dollars) on top of an initial 1.5 million euros released Friday.

"The immediate and critical needs are for food, clean drinking water, shelter materials, clothes, blankets and cooking utensils," said EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Louis Michel.

"The enormous damage to infrastructure, coupled with losses of both crops and livestock, mean that urgent action is also needed on basic rehabilitation. Otherwise, disease and malnutrition could claim many more victims."

Japan's Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura said it will send tents, blankets, water purifiers and other emergency materials worth an initial 320,000 dollars.

And Italy said it had sent more than 5,200 tonnes of wheat for those "in the most difficulty", as well as tents, blankets, medical supplies and sanitation equipment, which should arrive by the end of the month.

Kuwait has donated 10 million dollars to the relief effort, according to the official Kuwaiti news agency KUNA.

The Czech foreign ministry announced it was sending 1.5 million korunas (82,000 dollars) through the International Committee of the Red Cross to help flood victims. Czech charity Adra also said it was starting a collection for the efforts in Bangladesh.

The United States meanwhile announced it was sending two million dollars for relief efforts. Two US navy ships carrying helicopters for medical evacuations were due to arrive offshore within five to seven days.

Mia said the US ships were expected on November 23.

Most of the deaths following Thursday's cyclone were caused by a six-metre (20-foot) high tidal wave which engulfed coastal villages, or by flying debris and falling trees that crushed flimsy bamboo and tin homes.

Mia said UN agencies, particularly the World Food Programme, had already started relief work in the disaster areas.

Food stocks, crops, livestock and drinking water sources -- as well as entire stretches of road -- were washed away by the wave that smashed into the coast along with Cyclone Sidr, and in many places the situation was desperate.

Red Cross and Red Crescent workers said they were using their network of volunteers to distribute dried food and plastic sheeting for temporary shelters, but that many helpers were themselves victims.

"Our estimate is that 900,000 families are affected," said Red Cross official Shafiquzzaman Rabbani -- a figure that accounts for around seven million people.

Pope Benedict XVI appealed Sunday for international solidarity to aid Bangladesh and "help these brothers so sorely tried."

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