air's first Boeing 747 freighter took off early in the morning on 12 January for Sri Lanka loaded with 110 tons of aid supplies. A second Boeing 747 cargo aircraft departed for Colombo carrying aid supplies that weekend. Supplies are channelled through WHO, the Red Cross and the Sri Lankan government to disaster-stricken areas in Asia via Amsterdam. Italy is sending 35 tons of chemical toilets and water tanks, the Netherlands, 65 tons of medicines and bandages, and Germany and Sweden, 10 tons of medicines and blankets.