By Jeremy Reynalds
Correspondent for ASSIST News Service

WASHINGTON, D.C. (ANS) – The White House offered condolences to the victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, and said that the United States Government has provided an initial contribution of 2.1 million dollars for emergency relief.

A statement from press secretary Dana Perino said that the USS Essex and the USS Kearsarge are en route to Bangladesh to assist in operations there. The U.S. will airlift 35 tons of non-food items such as plastic sheeting, jerricans, hygiene kits and other supplies to provide material assistance.

Perino said that an 18-person Department of Defense medical team that was in Bangladesh prior to the storm is there to help with current medical needs. Working with the Government of Bangladesh, we are assessing critical needs to determine where our assistance can be most effective.

The statement continued, “President and Mrs. Bush offer condolences to the victims of Cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh, especially those who have lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods in this tragedy. The United States is committed to helping the people of Bangladesh and their government as they face the many challenges of rebuilding and recovering.”

Tropical Cyclone Sidr is the deadliest storm to hit the country in a decade. The death toll from tropical cyclone Sidr in Bangladesh has risen to more than 2,000, with more than 1.5 million people living in temporary shelters, a disaster management official told Bloomberg News Saturday.