SANDF heads for Madagascar

A South African National Defence Force task team equipped with four Oryx helicopters and a C130 Hercules would depart for cyclone-hit Madagascar tomorrow, the department of foreign affairs said.

The team would also include air traffic controllers, logistics and medical officers as well as foreign affairs officials to assist with the coordination of the effort.

"The South African government has authorised the dispatch on Tuesday of a relief mission to Madagascar to lend a hand to the government and the people of Madagascar to deliver humanitarian aid to the victims of the recent cyclone," the statement said. "This follows a request from Madagascar's President Marc Ravalomanana to President Thabo Mbeki."

The helicopters and cargo plane would be used in a joint operation with Unicef, the UN's children's fund and the World Food Programme to deliver food and medicine to areas where infrastructure had been destroyed by the two cyclones that struck the Indian Ocean island in recent weeks.

The cyclones destroyed an estimated 120 000 structures and left 240 000 people homeless. Dozens were killed and scores injured.

Mbeki on Monday told an election rally Ravalomanana had asked a number of other countries for help and all had referred him to South Africa.

Mbeki added that such calls could not go unanswered. - Sapa