07 March 2005
Images from Operation Sumatra Assist

Now that conditions have been sufficiently stabilised in Sumatra, the ADF is progressively transferring humanitarian relief tasks to specialist relief organisations that are better placed to provide the type of ongoing, long term support that is now required.

The ADF have been assisting Indonesian Government authorities as part of the Australian Government program of humanitarian relief following the Boxing Day tsunami.

The ADF has been working in support of tsunami disaster relief in Indonesia's Northern Sumatra and Aceh Provinces since 28 December 2004. Relief assistance provided by Australia is part of a co-operative effort involving the ADF, DFAT (AusAID) and Emergency Management Australia.

Water, tentage, medical supplies, blankets, and other emergency provisions, and logistical support have been provided. In the tsunami-devastated provincial capital of Banda Aceh, the ADF set up a water purification plant and established the ANZAC Field Hospital, a field hospital operated jointly by medical personnel of the ADF and the New Zealand Defence Force.

The ANZAC field hospital performs its final operation on 20 February before handing it back to the Indonesians. The Australian Navy amphibious transport ship, HMAS Kanimbla, delivered a detachment of Australian Army Engineers an 13 January, and has taken up station as a floating support and logistics base for relief and reconstruction work.

20050303adf8239682_008 (l+r) Flight Lieutenant Nick McCowen, and Squadron Leader Charlie Siedentopf fly passengers from Sabang to Aceh in a C-130. (Date taken: 04 March 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res	20050303adf8239682_013 (l+r) Squadron Leader Charlie Siedentopf, Flight Lieutenant Nick McCowen and (front) Warrant Officer Rick Cairns fly passengers from Sabang to Aceh in a C-130. (Date taken: 04 March 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res
20050303adf8239682_045 Flight Lieutenant Dan Kehoe shows Fatmawati Uty, the Force Extraction Team Linguist, around in a C-130. (Date taken: 03 March 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res	20050303adf8239682_071 Warrant Officer Katrina Salvesen speaks with Fatmawati Uty, the Force Extraction Team linguist, as TNI soldiers look on at Sabang airport. (Date taken: 04 March 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res
20050303adf8239682_103 Movers located at Sabang airport load a C-130 as it prepares to fly to Aceh. (Date taken: 03 March 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res	20050304adf8239682_034 Crew on the LCM8 load a truck on board to take to the Spanish ship, Galicia, for a resupply. Two LCM8s have been based in Indonesia in support of HMAS Kanimbla as part of humanitarian relief tasks in Aceh province. (Date taken: 04 March 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res
20050304adf8239682_041 Crew on the LCM8 load a truck on board to take to the Spanish ship, Galicia, for a resupply. Two LCM8s have been based in Indonesia in support of HMAS Kanimbla as part of humanitarian relief tasks in Aceh province. (Date taken: 04 March 2005) Low-Res | Hi-Res