The United Nations on Monday accepted Singapore's offer to act as the international body's regional coordination center for relief aids in the tsunami-affected areas.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday night, Singapore's package includes the use of the island state's Air and Naval bases, the use of Singapore aircraft and helicopter carriers and the setting up of the UN Regional Coordination Center i.e. a dedicated administration, secretariat,command, control & communications, and media support center.

The air and naval bases are already operational, and the coordination center, which will help to alleviate the situation and bring emergency disaster relief food and medical supplies and other forms of humanitarian assistance where it is needed most, will be set up quickly.

On December 31, 2004, Singapore offered to open its air and naval bases for use as additional staging and logistics points forbringing disaster relief supplies and aid into that part of Indonesia.

The Paya Lebar Air Base in southeast Singapore is capable of taking the largest transport aircraft such as C-5s, C-17s and B-747s, and short haul aircraft such as C-130s and helicopters. The Changi Naval Base in southeast Singapore can take alongside Aircraft Carriers and Helicopter Carriers and large logistics ships. Charges for the handling of relief supplies that comes through Singapore's ports have also been waived.

Currently, Singapore has sent six Chinook helicopters and two Super Puma medium helicopters to Indonesia while some 600 Singaporeans were deployed for disaster relief in Sumatra, and an additional 200 has been deployed in Phuket, Thailand.

On Tuesday, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean will visit Indonesia's tsunami-hit areas such as Medan, Banda Aceh and Meulaboh.

Source: Xinhua