As many as 503 German military personnel left Indonesia's tsunami-hit province of Aceh Thursday after conducting humanitarian works in the province.

The ceremony of seeing off the German servicemen was held aboard a logistic ship of the Berlin hospital, which was sent to the Aceh waters early January, reported the Antara news agency.

The German embassy said before the departure of the German troops, Dr Zainoel Abidin hospital on Thursday morning received medical equipment from the German Armed Forces.

It said Germany would continue to play an important role in the international efforts to help rehabilitate and reconstruct the disaster-ravaged areas.

Germany is among countries providing the biggest contributions to the tsunami-hit countries. For Indonesia alone, it provided about US$70 million channeled through German institutions and other international bodies involved in the humanitarian operations in Indonesia's westernmost province.

During the humanitarian mission in Aceh, the German military and the World Health Organization had given medical treatment and distributed mosquito nets for people in Aceh's western coastal areas.

In addition, a German technical assistance organization had also rehabilitated vital facilities and infrastructures as well as providing clean water, improving sanitation condition and reconstructing school buildings in the disaster-hit areas in Aceh.

The German and Indonesian governments were also reported to have agreed on setting up an early warning system for tsunamis in areas prone to disasters. The joint statement on the establishment of the system was expected to be materialized this week.
 
(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2005)