A team of 10 Belgian logistical specialists flew to the United States on Monday to assist in emergency response efforts in areas hit by Hurricane Katrina.

Belgium offered assistance to the United States last week and the American Red Cross requested the Belgian government dispatch a team to assist logistical coordination, according to local Television VTM.

The nine Belgian military personnel and one Red Cross worker will operate in a civilian capacity and work alongside their US colleagues.

The Belgian team will remain the United States for three weeks and 300 others are on stand-by to offer medical and logistical help.

There were about 400 Belgians living in the disaster stricken area. The Belgian Foreign Ministry has been unable to make contact with 69 of them.

However, it is hoped that most of them had left the region before Katrina struck.

Source: Xinhua