Aid workers: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is sending many additional emergency aid workers to south Asia over the coming days to help victims of Sunday's earthquake and tsunami.
Assessments are already under way in India, Thailand and Malaysia. Other staff are travelling to Sri Lanka and the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
"Our team from Jakarta expects to arrive in northern Sumatra soon," says emergency co-ordinator Mr Jan Weuts, who oversees the Indonesian side of the operation from the MSF office in Brussels. "And the cargo flight with relief materials from here should arrive no later than tomorrow."
Sumatra, the land mass closest to the epicentre of the earthquake, seems to be particularly badly hit. "We expect to find the damage inflicted by two consecutive disasters. The earthquake and aftershocks have caused buildings to collapse, and the subsequent tidal waves will have created further havoc," Mr Weuts said.
Meanwhile, a team of seven is on its way to Sri Lanka's north-eastern coast. More emergency workers will follow in the course of the week.
In Malaysia, MSF is now looking at the coastline north of Penang island. In Thailand, an assessment is under way for the part of the southern coast bordering with Burma.
"Our team in India reached Chennai today, the city formerly known as Madras," Mr Weuts continued. "They report that some initial aid is being provided there, but much more will be needed. This team will travel further south tomorrow."
MSF's 32 tons of relief materials on the aircraft include generators, water bladders and tanks, plastic sheeting, mosquito nets, chlorination kits, a hospital tent, medical supplies and various other items for the first stage of the MSF intervention.
"Malaria and dengue fever will be big problems in the current situation," Mr Weuts concluded.
"We are looking towards limiting the risk of these diseases driving up the already horrible death toll, in addition to preparing for all the other medical risks that we expect from our previous experiences of the aftermath of earthquakes and floods."