(VIC) Comprehensive Disaster Report 01-02-2005

Transcription

This Virtual Information Center (VIC) product represents the opinions of the various authors involved and not the opinions, assessments or
positions of the DoD or any other government agency or entity.
Special Press Summary:
Tsunami Hits South And Southeast Asia (UPDATE)
(Top Left) Aviation Anti-submarine Warfare Operator Second Class (AW2) Timothy Sullivan from Helicopter Anti-Submarine
Squadron 2 (HS-2) “Golden Falcons” views the Banda Aceh after a supply drop from Banda Aceh airport. U.S. Navy photo by
Photographer’s Mate Airman Patrick M. Bonafede. (RELEASED)
http://www.pacom.mil/special/0412asia/photos.shtml
(Top Right) Indonesian refugees from the tsunami gather under an approaching helicopter to receive food and supplies, January 1, 2005.
REUTERS/US Navy/Patrick M. Bonafede-Handout
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050103/ids_photos_india_wl/ra2135972315.jpg
(Bottom Left) 050101-N-1229B-098 (January 1, 2005 – 1100L) Indonesian and Australian service members unload supplies from a truck
with the help of sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln to be distributed by United States Navy helicopters throughout the island.
Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is currently operating in the Indian Ocean off the waters of Indonesia and Thailand. U.S. Navy
photo by Photographer's Mate Airman Patrick M. Bonafede.(RELEASED)
(Bottom Right) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) stationed off the coast of the island of Sumatra,
Indonesia. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Philip A. McDaniel (RELEASED)
Prepared by: Kerri Richardson, VIC (808) 477-3661 Ext. 2400 on 02 January 2004
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Special Press Summary: Tsunami Hits South And Southeast Asia (UPDATE)
Executive Summary
1. Assessment: As international aid pledges of aid soared over the weekend, emergency relief teams
battled bad weather, damaged infrastructures, and logistical hurdles to deliver humanitarian supplies.
While media sources highlighted U.S. military relief efforts reaching remote areas of Indonesia, the
growing desperation of millions displaced suggests the threat of a second wave of deaths from
starvation and illness. As India increases its assistance to the region, denials of foreign aid and
uneasiness over Washington’s presence underscores New Delhi’s efforts to be seen as a self-reliant
superpower and its attempts to counter media attention on western efforts. In the hardest-hit areas of
Indonesia and Sri Lanka, the threat of key political disputes has dramatically decreased as the loss of
core military installations and casualties have taken a toll on the insurgencies. Economically, Sri
Lanka and the Maldives are expected to suffer the heaviest consequences.
2. Summary: Nearly 150,000 people in 12 countries are now confirmed dead after the 9.0M
earthquake triggered tsunamis to hit the coastline of Asia and Africa seven days ago. The latest
casualties (as reported by various media sources) by country includes: 80,246 from Indonesia; 28,729
from Sri Lanka; 14,488 from India; 4,985 from Thailand (2,230 foreigners); 117 from the Maldives; 67
from Malaysia; 90 from Burma; 2 from Bangladesh; 142 from Somalia; one from Kenya, 3 from
Seychelles, and 10 from Tanzania. (For further details on casualty figures see.) Relief Efforts: For
specific details on international relief, see Tsunami Aid Chart. The U.N. reported that the money
pledged for both emergency relief and reconstruction rose past $2 billion, with Japan ($500 million)
and the U.S. ($350 million) heading the list of donors. Increased contributions were also pledged by
the European Union ($202 million), Canada ($66 million), China ($60.5 million), and Taiwan ($50
million). International leaders are expected to attend a conference on 6 January in Indonesia, in which
the distribution of global donations and reconstruction efforts will be discussed. Scheduled to arrive in
Bangkok, Thailand on Monday [3 Jan.], Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb
Bush are leading a U.S. delegation to assess the relief needs of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
Kicking off one of the biggest U.S. military disaster relief missions in history, the USS Abraham
Lincoln carrier and its ships were reported to have taken position off northern Sumatra [1 Jan.].
Bringing the first humanitarian supplies to the isolated area of Aceh, Seahawk helicopters dropped
supplies to haggard survivors in severe need of food and water. More than a dozen other U.S. ships are
en route to south Asian waters as the USS Bonhomme Richard heads for Sri Lanka. Turning down
foreign aid for victims of the tsunami, India has pledged contributions to its regional neighbors ($23 to
Sri Lanka, $1 million to the Maldives and Indonesia, and a half million to Thailand). New Delhi is
also sending ten warships backed by helicopters and transport aircraft to the region. Singapore offered
to be the UN Regional Disaster Coordination Hub, as well as opening air and naval bases to foreigners
sending aid.
3. Prepared by: Kerri Richardson, VIC (808) 477-3661 ext. 2400 on 02 January 2004
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Special Press Summary:
Tsunami Hits South And Southeast Asia (UPDATE)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 2
PRESS COVERAGE.............................................................................................................................. 8
COUNTRY IMPACT............................................................................................................................. 8
Africa ................................................................................................................................................... 8
Somalia ............................................................................................................................................. 8
Tsunami Death Toll In Somalia Rises To 142.............................................................................. 8
Asia ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
Australia ........................................................................................................................................... 9
Australia's Tsunami Death Toll Rising......................................................................................... 9
China................................................................................................................................................. 9
Mainland....................................................................................................................................... 9
4 Hong Kongers Missing In Tsunami-Hit Sri Lanka.................................................................... 9
FM Spokesman: 9 Chinese Die In Tsunamis In Thailand.......................................................... 10
India................................................................................................................................................ 10
Tsunami Disaster Toll 9,451, More Than 5000 Missing Report................................................ 11
Why Weren't We Warned, Aggrieved India Asks...................................................................... 11
Ministers Off Mikes.................................................................................................................... 11
India's Tsumani Death Toll Jumps To 14,488 ............................................................................ 12
Andaman In Fresh Fumble With Figures Army Chief In Corpse Faux Pas............................... 12
Indonesia......................................................................................................................................... 13
Intense Aftershocks Registered .................................................................................................. 13
Those Killed On Duty................................................................................................................. 13
TNI Chief Requests GAM To Forget Hostilities........................................................................ 14
Indonesia Vows To Keep On Searching For Disaster Survivors Against All Odds .................. 14
Government Denies Foreign Access To Aceh............................................................................ 15
Ban Lifted, Foreign Aid Workers Arrive ................................................................................... 15
Hungry Victims Irate At Lack Of Aid........................................................................................ 15
Indonesia Disaster Toll Could Reach 100,000: Health Ministry................................................ 16
Lawlessness, Health Concerns As Indonesian Disaster Shoots Above 79,000.......................... 17
Aid Groups Warn Of Second Wave Of Death............................................................................ 17
Japan............................................................................................................................................... 17
20 Japanese Now Confirmed Dead In Asian Tsunamis ............................................................. 17
Dead Dad, Son ID'd; Japan's Tsunami Toll Rises To 17............................................................ 18
Miracle Boy Survivor Leads Rescuers To Bodies Of Father, Brother ....................................... 19
15 Japanese Dead, As Tsunami Death Toll Soars To 120,000................................................... 19
Korea .............................................................................................................................................. 19
Another S. Korean Confirmed Dead, Raising Tsunami Death Toll To 10................................. 19
More Korean Casualties As Tsunami Death Toll Approaches 150,000..................................... 20
Whereabouts Of Some From U.S. Military Communities Still Unknown ................................. 20
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Malaysia ......................................................................................................................................... 20
Tsunami Death Toll Rises To 67 In Malaysia ............................................................................ 20
Maldives.......................................................................................................................................... 21
Sri Lanka And Maldives Seen Bearing Economic Brunt Of Tsunami Tragedy......................... 21
New Zealand ................................................................................................................................... 22
Seventeen New Zealanders Missing In Thailand ....................................................................... 22
Philippines ...................................................................................................................................... 22
2 More Filipinos Killed In Phuket, DFA Confirms.................................................................... 22
4 Pinoys Missing In Phuket Found Alive, DFA Says ................................................................ 22
Singapore........................................................................................................................................ 23
Singapore Says 9 Dead, 13 Missing, 81 Uncontactable After Tsunami Disaster....................... 23
Russia.............................................................................................................................................. 23
Contact Established With Two Russian Families In Tsunami-Stricken Area............................ 23
Sri Lanka......................................................................................................................................... 24
LTTE War Threat Recedes After Tsunami: Chandrika.............................................................. 24
Landmines Causing Problems .................................................................................................... 24
Sri Lanka And Maldives Seen Bearing Economic Brunt Of Tsunami Tragedy......................... 25
Sri Lanka Fears Disease Amid Foreign Military Push ............................................................... 25
Sri Lanka Gets Reports Of Child Rapes After Tsunami............................................................. 26
Sri Lanka: More Than 12,000 Families Helped In The North And East.................................... 26
LTTE Willing To Work With Sl Govt To Help Victims............................................................ 27
Main Refuge Camps At Kinniya And Muthur In Eastern Sri Lanka ......................................... 27
Sri Lanka Struggles To Cope With Offers Of Aid ..................................................................... 27
Sri Lankan Tsunami Survivors Face Sex Abuse ........................................................................ 28
Sri Lanka's Tsunami Death Toll Nears 30,000........................................................................... 28
The Latest Report On Trincomalee District ............................................................................... 28
4 Hong Kongers Missing In Tsunami-Hit Sri Lanka.................................................................. 29
Thailand.......................................................................................................................................... 30
Tsunamis' Official Death Toll Rises To Nearly 5,000 ............................................................... 30
Number Of Missing Cut To Under 4,000................................................................................... 30
Search For Victims Enters Final Stage....................................................................................... 30
Ayutthaya Elephants Brought In To Clear Debris...................................................................... 31
Dozens Of Navy Officers Killed By Tsunamis .......................................................................... 32
Fears Over Mental State Of Some 800 Survivors ...................................................................... 32
Govt Joins With Police To Set Up 7-Language Tsunami Website ............................................ 32
Democracy Groups Call For Postponement Of Election............................................................ 32
41 Nations Assist Thailand's Tsunami Relief Effort .................................................................. 33
United States................................................................................................................................... 33
Whereabouts Of Some From U.S. Military Communities Still Unknown ................................. 33
United Kingdom.............................................................................................................................. 33
UK Tsunami Death Toll Rises To 40 ......................................................................................... 33
GLOBAL RESPONSE/RELIEF EFFORTS BY DONOR ............................................................... 34
General ........................................................................................................................................... 34
World Pledges $2 Billion As Tsunami Death Toll Rises ........................................................... 34
Tsunami Aid Pours In But Airports Prove Bottlenecks.............................................................. 35
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Helpers Battle Sri Lanka Floods................................................................................................. 35
Urgent Need Is Getting Full Account Of The Physical Damages-Say Social Workers ............. 36
Fraudsters Try To Swindle Tsunami Donations......................................................................... 36
Long-Term Relief Could Take Time.......................................................................................... 37
Searchers Ready To Call Off Hunt For Tsunami Survivors....................................................... 37
Aid Organizations........................................................................................................................... 37
UN Aid Chief Appeals For Logistical Support As Tsunami Relief Supplies Stack Up............. 37
ADB Extends $325 Million For Tsunami-Hit Countries ........................................................... 38
Tsunami Aid Tops $1.2 bn: UN ................................................................................................. 39
400 Ton Of UNHCR Shelter, Relief Supplies Bound For Aceh ................................................ 39
Annan Says Tsunami Recovery Efforts Will Take Years .......................................................... 39
IMF Says No Discussion Yet On Indonesia Debt Relief ........................................................... 39
Australia ......................................................................................................................................... 40
Koizumi Kayoes Bush’s Millions............................................................................................... 40
Australian Air Force Rescues Tsunami Refugees ...................................................................... 41
Australians Told Not To Search For Bodies............................................................................... 41
More Australian Aid As Military Moves In ............................................................................... 41
China............................................................................................................................................... 42
Mainland..................................................................................................................................... 42
China To Send Second Aid Shipment To Tsunami-Hit Countries Jan. 2 .................................. 42
Nation Donates US$60 Million More To Victims ..................................................................... 42
China Sends Medical Team To Sri Lanka.................................................................................. 43
Ferocious Tsunami Starts Donation Drives Across China ......................................................... 43
FM Discuss Aid To Tsunami-Hit Countries With UN, WHO Heads ........................................ 44
Taiwan ........................................................................................................................................ 44
Taiwan Offers US$50 Million In Relief Aid To Tsunami-Hit Countries .................................. 44
Taiwan Medical Team Arrives In Aceh ..................................................................................... 45
Guam............................................................................................................................................... 45
Guard May Provide Aid.............................................................................................................. 45
India................................................................................................................................................ 46
India 'Doesn't Need' Foreign Aid................................................................................................ 46
Centre Sets Up Teams For Tsunami-Hit States.......................................................................... 46
Major Evacuation Process Over In Andamans: IAF .................................................................. 47
Para-Military Personnel Flown To Andamans ........................................................................... 47
Protest At Slow Pace Of Relief In Andamans ............................................................................ 48
Relief Efforts Focus On Andaman And Nicobar........................................................................ 48
PM Sanctions Rs. 250 Crore Relief For Tamil Nadu ................................................................. 48
India Sends Aid To Sri Lanka, RI, Maldives, Thailand ............................................................. 49
In Tsunami's Wake, India Makes Diplomatic Advance ............................................................. 49
No To Aid In Self-Reliance Bid ................................................................................................. 49
India 'Delivers Aid To Islands' ................................................................................................... 50
IAF Mounts Its Largest Peacetime Operation ............................................................................ 51
Manmohan Meets Kerala Victims; Assures A Sea Wall............................................................ 51
Delhi Uneasy Over US Visit....................................................................................................... 51
Disaster Brings Indian, US Navies Together In Indian Ocean For First Time........................... 52
Indonesia......................................................................................................................................... 52
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Indonesia Plans Tsunami Summit; Disaster Scope Widens ....................................................... 52
Indonesia To Host Tsunami Summit Next Week ....................................................................... 53
Japan............................................................................................................................................... 54
Koizumi To Attend Disaster Relief Summit In Jakarta Next Week........................................... 54
Japan Sends Forensic Experts To Thailand ................................................................................ 54
2 Japanese Aid Helicopters Arrive On Phuket ........................................................................... 54
Japan Pledges $500 Mil In Tsunami Aid As Death Toll Nears 150,000.................................... 54
Japan Backs Bush's Tsunami Aid Initiative ............................................................................... 55
Korea .............................................................................................................................................. 55
Korean Firms Respond To Tsunami Disaster............................................................................. 55
Businesses, Religious Groups Make Relief Efforts.................................................................... 55
Prime Minister To Attend Aid Summit In Jakarta...................................................................... 56
Korean Volunteers Get To Work................................................................................................ 57
KPHA Issues Advice To Contain Fallout Of Tropical Diseases................................................ 57
Korea Mulls Donating US$50 Million In Disaster Relief .......................................................... 57
Malaysia ......................................................................................................................................... 58
RM760,000 Collected By Malacca Gov't For Tsunami Victims................................................ 58
New Zealand ................................................................................................................................... 58
NZ Medics Face Aceh War Zone ............................................................................................... 58
Pakistan .......................................................................................................................................... 58
Pakistan Sends Aid To Sri Lanka, Indonesia.............................................................................. 58
Russia.............................................................................................................................................. 58
Russia Continues Sending Relief Aid To Southeast Asia .......................................................... 59
Russia Sends More Humanitarian Aid To Sri Lanka ................................................................. 59
Beslan Residents Contribute To South Asia Tsunami Relief..................................................... 60
Singapore........................................................................................................................................ 60
Singapore Opens Up Air, Naval Bases For Supplies To Indonesia ........................................... 60
Singapore Helicopters Flying Relief Supplies To Indonesia's Coastal Town Of Melauboh...... 60
Singapore Offers To Be UN Regional Disaster Coordination Hub............................................ 61
Singapore Offers Use Of Hospitals For Tsunami Injured .......................................................... 61
Singapore Raises Humanitarian Aid To SD5 Million ................................................................ 61
Singapore's Search And Rescue Teams Depend On Satellite Images Of Tsunami-Hit Areas... 62
United States................................................................................................................................... 62
U.S. Announces $350 Million In Tsunami Aid.......................................................................... 62
Powell, President Bush's Brother To Visit Tsunami-Hit Countries ........................................... 63
Powell To Visit Thailand, Indonesia .......................................................................................... 63
Bush Boosts Aid To $350 M ...................................................................................................... 64
Logistics Hindering Efforts To Account For U.S. Personnel In Stricken Areas........................ 64
U.S. Choppers Find Devastation, Desperation On Indonesian Coast......................................... 64
U.S. Disaster Relief Speeds Aid To Indonesia As Asian Tsunami Toll Passes 123,000 ........... 65
U.S. Speeds Relief To Indonesia ................................................................................................ 65
3rd MEF To Lead PACOM Disaster-Relief, Humanitarian Efforts In Southeast Asia.............. 66
U.S. Tsunami Aid Skyrockets To $350M .................................................................................. 66
Tsunami Aid Reaches Isolated Aceh.......................................................................................... 66
U.S. Help On The Way As Tsunami Deaths Top 123,000......................................................... 67
‘Nice’ Asia Images Sweep Into US ............................................................................................ 67
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Carrier Under Isle Command Joins Relief.................................................................................. 68
U.S. Forces Increase Disaster Aid To S. Asia ............................................................................ 68
Aid For Aceh Survivors Weeks Away Despite Relief Operation Gaining Momentum............. 68
Delhi Uneasy Over US Visit....................................................................................................... 69
As Fears Of Disease Grow, U.S. Military Picks Up Pace In Tsunami Relief Effort ................. 69
Disaster Brings Indian, US Navies Together In Indian Ocean For First Time........................... 70
US Helicopters Airlift Disaster Survivors From Indonesian Coast............................................ 70
US Military Teams Arrive In Sri Lanka ..................................................................................... 70
US To Send 1,500 Marines To Lanka For Relief Work............................................................. 71
Assessment Teams Set Up In Sri Lanka..................................................................................... 71
US Military Aid Role A First In Indonesia ................................................................................ 71
Villagers Mob U.S. Helicopters Bearing Aid Supplies .............................................................. 72
U.S. Navy Helicopter Sorties Bring Aid Into Indonesia ............................................................ 72
U.S. Uses Thai Base As Tsunami Relief Hub ............................................................................ 73
U.S. Military Delivers Aid To Indonesia.................................................................................... 73
Tsunami Survivors Cheer U.S. Choppers................................................................................... 74
U.S. Carrier Battle Group To Arrive In Aceh On Friday ........................................................... 74
100 Isle Personnel To Aid Asia .................................................................................................. 74
American Aid Tour: US Help Sought On Warning System....................................................... 75
Thousands Of Troops Assist Relief Effort In Disaster-Hit Provinces........................................ 75
U-Tapao Hub For US Troop Help .............................................................................................. 75
APPENDIX A – TSUNAMI AID CHART (UPDATES IN RED).................................................... 77
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Special Press Summary: Tsunami Hits South And Southeast Asia (UPDATE)
Press Coverage
Country Impact
Three-year-old Thunuvi Haliwitiya takes part in a candlelight vigil held by members of the Sri Lankan community in
downtown Vancouver, British Columbia January 2, 2005. The vigil was held to remember those killed in the Tsunami a
week ago. The small gathering remembered family and friends who perished when the Tsunami hit the island killing
thousands. REUTERS/Andy Clark
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050103/ids_photos_wl/r1658301824.jpg
Africa
Somalia
Tsunami Death Toll In Somalia Rises To 142
The number of confirmed dead in Somalia from South Asia's earthquake generated tsunami has risen
to at least 142 people. A spokesman for the Somali government, Yusuf Ismail Baribari, says relief
agencies are rushing aid to communities along the northeastern shoreline. The worst hit area is the
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Somali island of Hafun. Most of the dead are believed to be fishermen who were in boats when huge
waves struck the coastline on December 26. The Somali government says thousands in the region need
immediate aid. There are reports of acute diarrhea and concerns that outbreaks of cholera will follow.
The tsunami also took lives in Tanzania, Seychelles and Kenya.
Source: Voice of America News
http://www.voanews.com/english/CN044-SOMALIA-QUAKE.cfm
Asia
Australia
Australia's Tsunami Death Toll Rising
Australia's death toll from the Tsunami disaster has risen to 12 and officials are warning there will
almost certainly be a rise in the number of dead. Clare Mathie reports authorities have confirmed the
death of Australian who lived in Thailand. There are grave concerns for another 107 Australians who
were in Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives. The Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade is also yet to account for about 950 Australians who may have been in the affected areas.
Around 700 of them are thought to have been in Phuket and 140 in Sri Lanka. The Parliamentary
Secretary for Foreign Affairs Bruce Billson, says "I think we need to brace ourselves for a significant
increase in Australian loss of life." He says 17 Australians remain in hospitals around the region.
Source: ABC Radio Australia
http://www.abc.net.au/ra/news/stories/s1275265.htm
China
Mainland
4 Hong Kongers Missing In Tsunami-Hit Sri Lanka
Four Hong Kong passport holders Sunday were confirmed missing in the aftermath of last Sunday's
huge tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka. Cai Zhiyuan, an official with the immigration department of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, who is on rescue mission here, told
Xinhua that nine Hong Kongers have been confirmed safe through various channels since Friday
evening, making the previous figure of 6 slide down. Cai said that the number of missing Hong
Kongers was 15 on Saturday and on Sunday the number decreased to 6. Cai, among the four-member
special task force assigned by the HKSAR government, arrived in Colombo Wednesday to clinch the
whereabouts of all missing Hong Kongers in Sri Lanka and the Maldives during the tsunami tragedy.
"We will do our best to offer them all the aid they need," said Cai. The rescue team Friday brought
back one holding HKSAR passport and one holding passport of China from the southern port city of
Matara. The pair, having served a local business there for years, told Xinhua that they were stuck in the
battered coastal city and could not stand the poor living conditions in the aftermath of the tsunami
disaster. Cai said the team will keep on the rescue effort till the rest of missing people are found.
Source: Xinhua
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200501/02/eng20050102_169447.html
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FM Spokesman: 9 Chinese Die In Tsunamis In Thailand
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said here Sunday night that nine Chinese had been confirmed
dead as of 9:30 p.m. Sunday in Thailand after the fatal tsunamis. The nine dead include two from
Jiangsu Province, one from InnerMongolia, four from Hong Kong and two from Taiwan, said
spokesman Kong Quan, quoting the latest report from the Chinese embassy in Bangkok. Two people
from the Chinese mainland are hospitalized in Thailand and 15 others remain missing. Another 60
from Hong Kong were also reported missing in Thailand, Indonesia and other countries, according to
the spokesman. He said that Liao Hui, head of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State
Council, phoned Chief Executive Tung Chee Hwa Sunday afternoon, conveying the concern of the
Central Government and saying the Central Government fully supports the government of the Hong
Kong Special Administrative Region in its rescue work. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State
Council had also expressed condolence to families of the Taiwan victims, Kong said. Meanwhile,
relevant local governments had also expressed condolence to the victims' families and provided
assistance to them in dealing with the aftermath. Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao
have asked the Foreign Ministry and Chinese embassies and consulates in related countries to make
their utmost effort to help Chinese citizens stranded. As part of the emergency measures, Kong said,
the Chinese embassy to Thailand has established a service station at the international airport of
Bangkok, to serve Chinese people concerning accommodation and air ticket booking, among others.
Source: Xinhua
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-01/03/content_2409643.htm
Tempers flared over the sluggish pace of relief efforts in India's remote and restricted Andamans and Nicobars on January
2, 2005 as hundreds of bodies lay scattered around the islands a week after the tsunami struck. A local government officer
was manhandled by people angry at not getting relief supplies in Campbell Bay, the main town in the southernmost island
of Great Nicobar, where widespread devastation has been reported. Police had to send reinforcements. Tsunami survivors
from Nicobar Island are shown at a tsunami relief camp in Port Blair, the main city of India's remote Andaman and Nicobar
archipelago on January 1, 2005. (Altaf Hussain/Reuters)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050103/photos_wl/mdf809202
India
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Tsunami Disaster Toll 9,451, More Than 5000 Missing Report
The official death toll in tsunami disaster has gone up to 9,451 in four states and a Union territory with
the fate of another 5,511 still not known even as the relief and rehabilitation operations continued in
the areas which have experienced 94 aftershocks since December 26. According to the latest status
report released by the Home Ministry, Tamil Nadu accounted for largest number of human casualty
where 7,793 people lost their lives after the tsunami hit the state in the wee hours of December 26.
However, no person was reported missing from Tamil Nadu now and Home Ministry officials claimed
this as a final number of casualties in this southern state. This was followed by Andaman and Nicobar
Island where the death toll officially was 812 with another 5,421 still missing. As many as 16 relief
camps were operating in the Island, the report said, adding out of the missing, 4657 were from Katchal
Island. The death toll in Andhra Pradesh was 106 with fate of a another seven people still now known,
the report said adding that all the 65 relief camps set up along the coastal belt in the state had been shut
as people had gone back to resume their normal life. The casualty figure stood at 166 in Kerala where
two people were still missing, while in Pondicherry it was 574 dead with another 81 missing. The
report said while the relief operations was continuing in these areas, 94 aftershocks were experienced
in the region.
Source: Newkerala
http://news.newkerala.com/india-news/?action=fullnews&id=53971
Why Weren't We Warned, Aggrieved India Asks
For two and a half hours the tsunami sped towards the Indian coast, yet nobody was warned. The
waves struck Indonesia, Thailand and then submerged an air force base at Car Nicobar, 1,200 km from
the mainland. Finally, minutes before the deadly waters struck, the sea began to rapidly recede from
India's eastern shore. In some places, children scurried onto the beach to pick up shells. Faxes were
sent between government departments, but still no warning was given to the public. Finally the
tsunami struck, with devastating effect. "At every stage, there was a shrinking window of opportunity
to warn people. But nothing happened," said Barun Mitra of Liberty Institute, a New Delhi-based
think-tank. "A country that hopes to run the call centers of the world could not call its own people."
India's grief over Sunday's tsunami has not yet given way to anger, with most people too stunned by
the awesome power of nature to blame their government. But the media are beginning to ask the
question -- was the bureaucracy fatally complacent? Reports say the top brass of the Indian Air Force
knew their Nicobar air base had been submerged at least an hour before the waves struck the mainland
coast. The Indian Meteorological Department knew of the earthquake within minutes of its occurrence
in Indonesia but it informed the Home Ministry only after the tsunami had struck, a ministry official
told Reuters. "The debate is on and it will go on, whether we could have reacted faster," the Home
Ministry's secretary in charge of disaster management, AK Rastogi, told Reuters. "My dear, it was a
Sunday. Time was taken by the officer to get ready and get into the car -- but there was no delay."
"You have to appreciate that there has been no system like this, and now everyone is getting wiser. In
future, I hope, the Indian Meteorological Department will be better." (cont)
Source: The Times
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/977779.cms
Ministers Off Mikes
Stung by criticism over Kapil Sibal’s public trashing of Thursday’s tsunami alert sounded by the home
ministry, the Manmohan Singh government is learnt to have advised ministers to keep off the tragedy
briefings. Instead, the government seems inclined to bring to the forefront the faceless bureaucracy that
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has been working round the clock since the killer waves struck to apprise people of the steps taken by
the government. The move was reportedly prompted by a news conference on Thursday where the
science and technology minister ran down the tsunami warning from the Australian Pacific Tsunami
Warning Centre and the home ministry for issuing an alert on the basis of the warning. Home minister
Shivraj Patil, who was apparently reluctant to issue the general warning for fear of creating panic,
stood by the decision of his officials on the ground that the alert was issued as a matter of abundant
caution to ensure that no further lives were lost. (Cont)
Source: The Telegraph
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050102/asp/nation/story_4202804.asp
India's Tsumani Death Toll Jumps To 14,488
India raised the number of people killed or feared killed in last week's tsunami to 14,488 on Sunday, up
by more than 1,700 since the previous evening's estimate. A Home Ministry statement said the rise was
due to a sharp jump in the numbers missing and presumed dead in the remote Andaman and Nicobar
islands, from 3,754 to 5,421.
Source: REUTERS
Relatives of tsunami victims look at a board where photographs of missing people are displayed at Phuket Town on the
Thai holiday island of Phuket.(AFP/DDP/Johannes Simon)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/photos_wl_pc_afp/050102234216_yg5tg6h3_photo3
Andaman In Fresh Fumble With Figures Army Chief In Corpse Faux Pas
The devastation apart, the administration on the ravaged Andaman and Nicobar Islands is also
grappling with figures. The numbers have been changing almost everyday and Saturday was no
different. The count of missing people suddenly swelled to over 5,400 today from 3,754 yesterday.
Adding to the confusion was chief of army staff .C. Vij. After a six-hour visit to Car Nicobar —
perhaps the worst affected island — today, he initially said over 1,000 bodies were lying there and
only 120 had been buried. Later, he retracted the statement and said the figure could be for all the
islands. Asked why the figures are getting jumbled, the general replied: “Nowhere are people sure
about figures.” As the administration struggled with the extent of the human tragedy, a team from
Isro’s National Remote Sensing Agency began the arduous task of investigating how the tsunamis have
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affected the topography of the Andamans. “Issues like the increasing mud volcano eruption and the
situation in Barren Island (139 km from Port Blair), which has a dormant volcano, will also be
assessed by the team,” said a government official. (Cont)
Indonesia
Intense Aftershocks Registered
Seismological agencies around the globe today noted an upturn in the intensity of aftershocks from
Sunday’s killer quake. Agencies from Indonesia, the United States, China, Hong Kong and France – to
name just a few – have stressed that the series of strong quakes felt in Indonesia and India’s Nicobar
and Andaman islands since Friday night (31/12/04) were not sufficiently strong to trigger a tsunami.
However, the quakes are being felt on the surface - further traumatizing survivors of the disaster that
has left an estimated 100,000 Indonesians dead and at least a further 50,000 dead in other south and
southeast Asian countries. A massive earthquake registering 9.0 on the Richter scale struck last Sunday
just 60 kilometers from the coast of Indonesia’s Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra island
sending waves of up to 15 meters roaring over its coastline and ricocheting through the Indian Ocean.
A worker with the Indonesian Red Cross in Banda Aceh told the detikcom website that the provincial
capital was being shaken by slight tremors every four hours on average. Aftershocks of more than 6.0
on the Richter scale have been registered everyday since Sunday’s disaster but most have been far
beneath the surface of the earth. Seismological agencies began noting an upturn in the intensity of the
aftershocks on the surface Friday evening. A spokesperson for the Jakarta Geophysics Bureau told
AFP that three significant aftershocks with magnitudes of 5.3, 5.2, and 5.0 on the Richter scale were
felt during the night in Aceh. (Cont)
Source: Laksamana.Net
http://www.laksamana.net/vnews.cfm?ncat=33&news_id=7785
Those Killed On Duty
At least 377 Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel and 51 members of their families were killed in the
recent earthquake and tsunami wave disasters of waves that hit the provinces of Nanggroe Aceh
Darussalam (NAD) and North Sumatra as well as other regions in Asia on Sunday (26/12). “Some of
the TNI personnel were conducting training at sea and some others were carrying out their duties in the
coastal areas. Most of their dormitories were swept away by the waves,” said TNI chief Gen.
Endriartono Sutarto in Jakarta on Monday (27/12). State Electricity Company (PLN) offices in North
Sumatra also suffered as at least 30 employees were killed on duty in Aceh and some areas of North
Sumatra. “The PLN office in Medan, North Sumatra, will send at least eight people to replace those
killed in this incident,” said PLN North Sumatra General Manager for Electricity Supply and Power
Plants, Albert Pangaribuan. Sutarto said that 180 TNI personnel who were killed in the disasters came
from the Iskandar Muda Military Command and were swept away by the tsunami waves as they were
conducting training at Ule Lheu beach, Banda Aceh. Sutarto said he assumed that there would be more
victims of the disasters in Aceh, Nias island and Cermin Beach. (Cont)
Source: Tempo Interactive
http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/nasional/2005/01/02/brk,20050102-01,uk.html
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TNI Chief Requests GAM To Forget Hostilities
Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen. Endriartono Sutarto has requested the Free Aceh Movement
(GAM) separatist group to temporarily forget the hostilities between them. Sutarto said he expected the
GAM not to take advantage of the recent disasters that hit the province of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
in order to reach their objectives GAM. “In this situation, it would be improper for the GAM, as
human beings, to take advantage and use these current conditions for purposes other than humanitarian
purposes,” said Sutarto at a press conference at TNI headquarters in Cilangkap, Jakarta, on Monday
(27/12). Sutarto requested all parties, including the GAM, to focus on helping the victims of the recent
disasters and act in the sake of humanity. “Let’s forget the other problems for the time being,” he said.
According to Sutarto, the TNI will deploy all TNI personnel in Aceh to help victims of the recent
disasters. He said he also hope that the GAM, as Acehnese, would do the same. Sutarto stated that he
would still order Iskandar Muda Military Chief Major General Endang Suwarya to be alert regarding
all separatist movement activities in the Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam (NAD) province but avoid
conducting offensive measures. TNI back up troops will be focused more in Banda Aceh as most
disaster victims have come from this area.
Source: Sunariah-Tempo News Room
http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/nasional/2005/01/02/brk,20050102-02,uk.html
A forensic doctor stands motionless amid corpses of tsunami victims, covered with dry ice, at a makeshift morgue in a
temple at Khao Lak, Thailand, January 2, 2005. Starving people besieged helicopters carrying the first aid to remote
Indonesian towns on Sunday as frustration grew at the slowness of help a week after tsunamis devastated Indian Ocean
coastlines. REUTERS
Indonesia Vows To Keep On Searching For Disaster Survivors Against All Odds
Indonesia on Sunday vowed to continue searching for disaster survivors "no matter how slim the
chances" a week after an enormous earthquake and tsunami killed up 100,000 people on Sumatra
island. Col. Ahmad Yani Basuki of the military's disaster mitigation taskforce in Banda Aceh, the
worst-affected city, said his men would go on hunting for signs of life in the corpse-strewn rubble of
demolished houses across the region. "We will continue to search for the dead and bury them as well
as to search for any survivors -- no matter how slim the chances are of still finding a survivor."
Addressing soldiers a day earlier in Aceh, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono urged the
military not to give up trying. The United Nations has warned that many survivors of the disaster
stranded on isolated stretches of obliterated coastline may not be reached for days, but relief efforts
were finally starting to get through.
14
Source: Jakarta Post
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaillatestnews.asp?fileid=20050102154857&irec=1
Government Denies Foreign Access To Aceh
The Indonesian government is apparently determined to thwart foreign parties seeking to enter regions
devastated by tidal waves on Sunday – ostensibly due to the separatist movement in Aceh province.
Secretary to the Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Sutedjo Juwono said that Jakarta-based
foreign journalists will be permitted to go directly to Aceh after securing a permit from local military
authorities, reported The Jakarta Post in its online version on Tuesday (28/12/04) at 19.30 local time.
Several Jakarta-based foreign journalists were permitted to enter Aceh on Monday but Sutedjo said
that other journalists and aid workers not based in Indonesia will be “required to submit application
letters... which may take two weeks (to process).” Deputy to Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal
and Security Affairs Joko Sumaryono has been appointed liaison officer for foreign journalists. The
Post reported that journalists must register with the government before entering Aceh so that their
movements can be monitored. Aceh has been off limits to international humanitarian and media
organizations since 2003 after the collapse of internationally-brokered peace talks with separatist
rebels of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), which has fought for independence since 1976, and the
subsequent instatement of a military emergency in May 2003. Then president Megawati Sukarnoputri
and her backers in the country’s armed forces (TNI) and police sanctioned the deployment of up to
51,000 troops to annihilate an estimated 5,300 armed guerrillas. (Cont)
Source: Laksamana, December 29, 2004 01:19 AM,
http://www.laksamana.net/vnews.cfm?ncat=22&news_id=7775
Ban Lifted, Foreign Aid Workers Arrive
Foreign humanitarian workers have come to the rescue of the people in Aceh, who are desperate for
aid following the quake and tidal waves that have killed more than 37,000 in the war-ravaged province.
Dozens of volunteers from various countries, including Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan, Japan and
Singapore, arrived in Aceh on Wednesday to help Indonesian rescue and health workers distribute food
and medicine, provide health care, erect tents for refugees and evacuate rotten bodies scattered around
towns across the province. They also brought body bags and other necessities, and will work in
coordination with the Aceh disaster mitigation agency. Their entry to Aceh was made possible after
the government declared Aceh open for foreign humanitarian workers. Vice President Jusuf Kalla
said during a meeting with foreign ambassadors and representatives of the UN and international nongovernmental organizations in Jakarta that the government had simplified procedures for the
volunteers to obtain a visa-on-arrival for a one-month stay at destination airports, especially in Medan
and Banda Aceh. "Foreign diplomats and volunteers, including doctors, social and humanitarian
workers and engineers, have been given clearance to go to Aceh," Kalla said. Jakarta extended the
state of civil emergency for another six months in November, keeping foreigners from the province,
which has seen a military operation to crush separatists since May 2003. (Cont)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20041230.A02&irec=5
Hungry Victims Irate At Lack Of Aid
Crucial food and medical supplies remained far too scarce for the traumatized survivors on Thursday,
nearly five days since the earthquake-triggered tidal waves pounded northern Sumatra on Sunday.
Criticism increased to a fever pitch over the government's poor handling of the relief operation thus
15
far. Supplies were seen piling up at warehouses in Polonia airport in Medan, North Sumatra and Halim
Perdanakusuma air base in Jakarta, where the bulk of the aid from donors has been sent. But the aid is
not reaching the famished victims, some of whom are suffering from serious injuries. "We're confused
about where to get the food. There's no information. Just what you hear on the street. The coordination
is very bad," one survivor Zulkarnaen was quoted by Reuters as saying on Thursday. As far as
reaching the needy, the food distribution program was considered gravely deficient and some victims
said it was a dehumanizing experience. "Cars just come by and throw food out the window and keep
going. The fastest person gets the food. Only the strong survive. The elderly and the injured don't get
anything. We feel like dogs," said another refugee, Usman. Minister of Social Services Bachtiar
Chamsyah said in Medan that 100 trucks were heading for Aceh on Thursday, carrying food and
medicine. He explained that a lack of trucks had hampered the aid distribution operation. The
government relief mission, he said, remained unable to reach most areas outside of Banda Aceh. The
Indonesian Military (TNI) has been dropping food in areas inaccessible by land transportation. As of
Thursday night, the official death toll had risen to 79,940. International aid officials have predicted that
the death toll in the province may climb over 100,000, many of whom remain unburied. (Cont)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20041231.@06&irec=0
Girls pretend to cook in an area devastated by the tsunami in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, Thailand January 2, 2005.
Starving people besieged helicopters carrying the first aid to remote Indonesian towns on Sunday as frustration grew at the
slowness of help a week after tsunamis devastated Indian Ocean coastlines. REUTERS/Kin Cheung
Indonesia Disaster Toll Could Reach 100,000: Health Ministry
The death toll in Indonesia from the massive earthquake and tsunami that has devastated Asia could
reach up to 100,000, the health ministry said Friday. Spokeswoman Marian Reksoprojo, quoting the
country's health minister, said the death toll was expected to increase beyond the current confirmed
figure of 80,000 in and around the worst-hit province of Aceh on Sumatra island. "The minister said
that the number of dead victims in Aceh and North Sumatra could reach 100,000," Reksoprojo said.
Source: AFP
16
Lawlessness, Health Concerns As Indonesian Disaster Shoots Above 79,000
Indonesia's tsunami nightmare continued with a death toll surpassing 79,000 on flattened coastlines as
panic stirred lawlessness and vital aid slowly reached the sick and hungry. Five days after an
earthquake of terrifying proportions sent towers of water crashing onto Sumatra island, rescuers found
few people alive among floating graveyards of swollen corpses and pulverised homes on isolated
oceanfronts. Collapsed bridges and broken roads leading to Aceh's northwest coast, a blasted
landscape of leveled buildings tangled with piles of naked and grotesque dead, forced the military to
parachute food to starving survivors. Similar scenes were repeated on shorelines around the Indian
Ocean after shockwaves carried tsunamis as far afield as Africa, killing more than 118,000 -- but most
were from Indonesia. With 100,000 people left homeless by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake -- centered
less than 150 kilometer (93 miles) off Aceh -- generous offers of aid were pouring into Indonesia but
most was yet to reach its destination. Purnomo Sidik, the head of the Indonesian government's social
affairs disaster control directorate, told AFP that a fuel shortage had resulted in a traffic jam of planes
at the airport in Medan, the major city on Sumatra. (Cont)
Source: AFP
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041230/afp/041230145529asiapacificnews.html
Aid Groups Warn Of Second Wave Of Death
Countless survivors of the devastating tsunamis on Sumatra remained isolated and without food or
water yesterday. Nearly a week after the disaster struck, Indonesia began the new year facing a death
toll of more than 100,000. With international aid agencies warning of a second wave of deaths from
starvation and illness, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono went to Aceh province and
ordered the delivery of supplies to be sped up urgently. "Immediately channel this aid," Dr Yudhoyono
told soldiers as he surveyed a big backlog of aid at the airport in Banda Aceh, the nearly leveled capital
on the far north-west of the island. "Do your duties as well as possible, day and night. We have the
obligation to save each and every one," he said, according to the state Antara news agency. The buildup of aid at Banda Aceh and Medan, in North Sumatra, the nearest major city, is due to a myriad of
infrastructure and co-ordination problems that include flood-destroyed roads and a lack of trucks. Aid
workers have repeatedly warned that survivors could die within days without food, water and
medicine. In Banda Aceh, a co-coordinator for the Prosperous Justice Party's aid operation, Irwansyah,
said aid was being delivered "extremely late", even in the capital. "If the distribution is not good in the
next couple of days, about 10 per cent of the survivors in Banda Aceh could be threatened by hunger,"
Irwansyah said. The traffic jam at Medan airport was highlighted yesterday when a Red Cross plane
flying in from Paris with a water sanitation unit could not land because of the congestion and had to be
re-routed to Kuala Lumpur.
Source: The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Asia-tsunami/Aid-groups-warn-of-second-wave-ofdeath/2005/01/01/1104345037032.html?oneclick=true
Japan
20 Japanese Now Confirmed Dead In Asian Tsunamis
The deaths of two Japanese citizens were confirmed Sunday in southern Thailand, bringing the
Japanese death toll to 20 from Asian tsunamis triggered by the Dec 26 earthquake off Indonesia's
Sumatra Island, the Foreign Ministry said. The two whose deaths were confirmed in Krabi, near
17
Phuket, are a woman in her 50s and her son, the ministry said. By Saturday, eighteen Japanese citizens
had been confirmed to have died in Thailand and Sri Lanka due to the tsunamis that hit Southeast and
South Asia.
Source: Kyodo
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=323690
Dead Dad, Son ID'd; Japan's Tsunami Toll Rises To 17
A Japanese relief team in Thailand has found the bodies of two Japanese killed on Phi Phi Island by
Sunday's quake-triggered tsunamis, officials said Friday. Relatives identified the victims as Takayuki
Sugimoto, 41, from Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, and his 8-year-old son, Tomoki, they said. That put the
number of Japanese citizens confirmed dead in the disaster at 17 -- eight in Sri Lanka and nine in
Thailand -- while many others remain missing. Sugimoto and his son had been listed as missing after
Sunday's tsunamis struck. Sugimoto was vacationing there with his wife, Masami, 41, Tomoki and son
Ryohei, 12. Ryohei was rescued, but Masami is still unaccounted for. The bodies believed to be
Sugimoto and Tomoki were found under the debris of a hotel shown to the rescue team by Ryohei,
according to the officials. Meanwhile, the body of the Filipino spouse of a Japanese businessman was
identified Thursday. She was apparently washed away along with her family on the Thai resort island
of Phuket, her husband's company said the same day. The body of Ivy Catherine Terasaka, 32, was
identified by her older sister and officials of Sumitomo Forestry Co. Her husband, Masahiro Terasaka,
39, was stationed at the company's representative office in Singapore. (Cont)
Source: Japan Times
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?nn20050101a5.htm
A village near the coast of Sumatra lays in ruin after the tsunami swept through and devastated the area, in Indonesia
January 2, 2005. Helicopters assigned to CVW-2 and Sailors from Abraham Lincoln are conducting humanitarian
operations in the wake of the tsunami that struck South East Asia. U.S. and Indonesian military helicopters were swarmed
by starving villagers as flight crews threw out boxes of bottled water and food. A week after giant waves swamped parts of
Indonesia the water is only just beginning to drain away to reveal the full extent of the horrific destruction and yet more
bodies to count. (Reuters - Handout)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/photos_ts/mdf810383
18
Miracle Boy Survivor Leads Rescuers To Bodies Of Father, Brother
Brave 12-year-old Ryohei Sugimoto, who miraculously escaped the tsunami that killed over 120,000
after it swept through the Indian Ocean last week, has led rescuers to the bodies of his father and
younger brother. Ryohei remembered where the waves had slammed into his family holidaying in Phi
Phi and led the search for his parents and 8-year-old brother, Tomoki. Unfortunately, rescuers from a
Japanese search team found the bodies of Tomoki and Ryohei's father, 41-year-old Takayuki, the
younger boy still clinging desperately to his father's arms. Ryohei knew it was his father's body after
seeing the wristwatch on the arms of the corpse. Takahiro Sugimoto, Ryohei's uncle, confirmed his
identification. The swimsuit Tomoki was wearing was the same one Ryohei had worn on a family trip
to Phi Phi two years earlier. Initial beliefs that a Japanese woman's body found nearby was that of
Ryohei's 41-year-old mother, Masami, proved unfounded and she remains missing. "Perhaps Takayuki
tried to the very end to save Tomoki's life," Takahiro Sugimoto said. (Cont)
Source: Mainichi
http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20050101p2a00m0dm005000c.html
15 Japanese Dead, As Tsunami Death Toll Soars To 120,000
Relatives of Japanese tourists who went missing in Sri Lanka after Sunday's quake-triggered tsunamis
identified seven bodies Thursday, while another body was confirmed as that of a missing Japanese
diplomat in Thailand, the Foreign Ministry said. The latest confirmations have brought the number of
Japanese killed in the disaster to 15. 15 Japanese dead, as tsunami death toll soars to 120,000
Source: Japan Today
Korea
Another S. Korean Confirmed Dead, Raising Tsunami Death Toll To 10
A 45-year-old South Korean woman was found dead on a resort island in Thailand among the
casualties from the tidal waves that hit South Asia, raising the number of South Korean deaths to 10,
the Foreign Ministry said Sunday. The body of the woman identified only by her family name Kim
was confirmed by her family, who had tried to locate the victim since she went missing in the wake of
the tsunamis. South Korea is still seeking to determine the whereabouts of 336 nationals still
unaccounted for in tsunami-affected Asian countries. So far, 10 South Koreans are officially listed as
missing. To help assist South Korean victims of the tidal waves that claimed tens of thousands of lives
across Asia last weekend, Seoul has dispatched about 50 government officials, forensic specialists and
rescue and aid workers to Thailand and other affected countries, the spokesman said. Seoul has sent
US$600,000 in aid and has set aside an additional $4.4 million from this year's budget to help recovery
efforts in the devastated region. South Korean civic groups and businesses have so far offered $2.6
million in aid. The massive tidal waves, triggered by an earthquake in Indonesia last week that was the
world's most powerful in 40 years, claimed tens of thousands of lives across Southeast Asia and
countries in the Indian Ocean. Reports said Sunday the death toll was approaching 150,000 as recovery
efforts continue.
Source: Yonhap
http://english.yna.co.kr/Engnews/20050102/320000000020050102124729E6.html
19
More Korean Casualties As Tsunami Death Toll Approaches 150,000
The death toll in South Asia sparked by the tsunami is now believed to have approached the 150,000
mark, after rescue teams spent the last eight days pulling newly discovered corpses from trees, shanty
towns, beach resorts and wrecked fishing communities, reported foreign news services such as CNN
and Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Sunday, while fears are mounting that Korean casualties will
continue to escalate. The number of Korean victims now stands at ten, as the bodies of a 45-year-old
woman identified as Kim and a 24-year-old woman identified as Ji were uncovered. As of 5 p.m.
Sunday, there were ten confirmed dead, ten missing, and a further 335 Koreans whose status was
unconfirmed. According to CNN, there were over 140,000 casualties as of Sunday morning, including
79,906 in Indonesia, 27,229 in Sri Lanka, and at least 10,000 in Indian. AFP estimated the death toll at
123,100, including 80,246 in Indonesia, 28,729 in Sri Lanka and 8,955 in India. However, the number
of victims is expected to curve sharply upward, as the United Nations (UN) and Indonesia's Ministry of
Health announced that 100,000 people may have died on the island of Sumatra, which was at the
epicenter of the earthquake, including Aceh province. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has
predicted that the 10 missing Koreans are not likely to have survived the disaster. Even though the
number of Korean nationals whose whereabouts are unknown has dropped, the figure still remains at
above 300.
Source: Chosun Ilbo; Yoon Hee-young
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200501/200501020023.html
Whereabouts Of Some From U.S. Military Communities Still Unknown
U.S. military authorities in South Korea on Friday were continuing their efforts to account for
members of their military communities who were or may have been in the disaster-stricken areas, said
Army Col. MaryAnn Cummings, chief spokeswoman for U.S. Forces Korea, in Seoul. A Marine
spokeswoman on Okinawa said Wednesday that officials there had not been made aware of anyone
missing; no update was given Thursday. Bases in Japan reported earlier this week that all personnel
were accounted for. Department of Defense Dependents Schools-Pacific officials said Wednesday that
14 teachers believed to have been vacationing in Thailand were unaccounted for. DODDS-Pacific
officials did not respond to requests for an update on Thursday. Americans looking for information
about a missing person or with information about someone can call the American Citizen Services hot
line in Thailand at 66-2-205-4049, or ask questions or submit information at [email protected].
Source: Stars and Stripes
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=26327
Malaysia
Tsunami Death Toll Rises To 67 In Malaysia
A victim of the tsunami died in a hospital in north state of Kedah Sunday, bringing Malaysia's death
toll to 67 after the tidal waves hit the west coast of the country last Sunday. Sungai Petani Hospital
Director Harif Fadzillah confirmed that the latest casualty was Rodziah Abdullah, 57, from Kampung
Kepala Jalan, Kota Kuala Muda. "Rodziah died this morning after being in the Intensive Care Unit
(ICU) for a week. Two other victims in ICU are in stable condition," he was quoted by Malaysia
National News Agency as saying. He said they were Rodziah's grandson, Muhammad Umar Adani
Johari, 3, and her daughter, Habsah Baharom, 33, while four other tsunami victims were at the normal
ward. The tsunami claimed 11 people in Kedah, one of Malaysian three worst-hit states. The tsunami
death toll in the country rose to 66 last Wednesday, announced by the Malaysian Control Center in the
20
federal police headquarters. The tsunami, triggered by a massive earthquake in Indian Ocean near
Indonesian island of Sumatra last Sunday, struck several states on the country's west coast. Most public
celebrations to usher in 2005 had been cancelled or postponed following a call by Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawithat prayers be conducted instead, as a mark of respect for victims of the
killer tsunami.
Source: Xinhuanet
Reaching : Indian tsunami victims reach for relief goods being distributed from the back of a truck at a fishing village on
the seashore of Cuddalore, some 185kms south of Madras. (AFP/Emmanuel Dunand)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/photos_us_rank_afp/050102223523_981m6c5p_photo0
Maldives
Sri Lanka And Maldives Seen Bearing Economic Brunt Of Tsunami Tragedy
Sri Lanka and the Maldives are likely to suffer the heaviest economic consequences from the tsunami
wave disaster, with bigger economies in the region better placed to withstand the fallout, analysts said.
The economies of India, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia were in a strong position to overcome the
tragedy, they added, as the death toll from the deadly waves soared well past 100,000. "While the
tourist sector is a similar size of both Indonesia`s and Sri Lanka`s economies, the impact is likely to
vary considerably," economists at the emerging markets bank Standard Chartered wrote in a research
note. "In Indonesia the main tourist areas of Bali and Lombok are not impacted. In contrast, the extent
of the devastation on Sri Lanka suggests its tourist sector and economy will be hit harder." "Given the
size of the economies and the scale of the disaster, it is the Maldives and Sri Lanka that are worst
affected in economic terms, although all countries will be impacted." Travel and tourism represents
21
both directly and indirectly 74.1 percent of the gross domestic product of the Maldives and 10.8
percent of Sri Lanka, according to figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council. (Cont)
Source: Antara
http://news.antara.co.id/en/seenws/index.php?id=33
New Zealand
Seventeen New Zealanders Missing In Thailand
There are now 17 New Zealanders believed to be missing in Thailand after the Boxing Day tsunami
that has so far claimed two New Zealand lives. Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said that overnight
the number of New Zealanders missing in Thailand had been reduced from 23. "We've been calling
back, we've been getting calls from...from friends and relations who have finally heard from the person
they have been looking for," Mr Goff told National Radio. "The 17 we're case managing quite
intensively, doing everything we can to try and track those people. "Seventeen is much better than 124
but when we get down that list we have a growing concern for a number of people on it." "Intensive"
work had reduced the wider list of 252 unaccounted for by a third to 170. Mr Goff said there were
many miracle stories coming out of the area of people surviving in a way many would not have
believed possible. "I really fear that in terms of the people that may be deceased that's going to take
quite a long time to get finality, for some of course there'll never be finality because the bodies are still,
out to sea".
Source: The New Zealand Herald
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=500851&ObjectID=9005412
Philippines
2 More Filipinos Killed In Phuket, DFA Confirms
DEPARTMENT of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Gilbert Asuque on Friday confirmed the
deaths of two more Filipinos in the wake of devastating tsunamis that struck Phuket, Thailand and
several Asian countries. Citing a report from the Philippine embassy in Thailand, Asuque named the
two Filipino casualties as Estelita Sales, an employee at the Sofitel Resort Hotel in Khao Lak province,
and Ivy Catherine Tomenio-Terasaka, whose body was positively identified by a sister who flew in
from the Philippines via Singapore. Terasaka was married to a Japanese man. Her husband and three
children, all Japanese citizens, remain missing (not dead as reported in an earlier version of this
article). "We have no details yet on when the bodies would be repatriated. I guess they will still finish
the forensics there before repatriation. Definitely we will assist in the repatriation," Asuque said when
queried on repatriation plans. The spokesperson had earlier confirmed the death of Sharleen May Tan,
19, a college student at the Ateneo de Manila University. Nineteen Filipinos remain missing and 18 are
listed as having survived, according to a list maintained by the Overseas Workers' Welfare
Administration. The tsunamis, spawned by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean, have
killed over 120,000 people.
Source: Veronica Uy; INQ7.net
http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_new/2004/dec/31-02.htm
4 Pinoys Missing In Phuket Found Alive, DFA Says
Four Filipinos who had been earlier reported missing as a result of the tsunami in Phuket, Thailand,
last week, have been found alive, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported yesterday. But the
22
number of Filipinos who have been reported missing as a result of the tidal waves in Thailand has risen
from 18 to 22. There are also 16 casualties with Filipino-sounding names, but their citizenships have
yet to be verified. The number of Filipinos who died in the tidal waves in Thailand remains at five. The
DFA said that Ava Angelica Alora, Marian Pasag, Jay William Decayco and Emily Balao who were
earlier reported missing have been found alive. The 22 other Filipinos reported as missing in Thailand
included Alexander Latoza, Alma Gillado, Ariel Mallari, Cruzette Bulaon Cruz, Dario Banua
Maniago, Edna Atienza Suess, Eliza Ferguzon, Gerard S. Reyes, Jennifer Liew May Lin Reyes (wife
of Gerard Reyes), Cassandra Szeli Liew Reyes (daughter of Gerard and Cassandra), Gerard Sanchez,
Gloria Pongco Bauarle, Jasmin C. Barandoc, Jay Ocampo, Josephine Ragual, Josie Co, Jovita Gomez
(also known as Wijitra Charooenpong), Marcela S. Albao, Marcial Ferre, Michael Galang, Michelle
Faustino Noel, and Remedios Rico Daniel. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo has sent
Philippine Ambassador to Thailand Antonio V. Rodriguez, as well as an eight-man forensic team, to
facilitate the search and identification of the Filipino casualties. (Cont)
Source: Manila Bulletin; DAVID CAGAHASTIAN
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN2005010325594.html
Singapore
Singapore Says 9 Dead, 13 Missing, 81 Uncontactable After Tsunami Disaster
Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry says 81 Singaporeans remain uncontactable in the tsunamiaffected areas as at 5 pm on Sunday. This is a significant drop from the 157 who were listed as
uncontactable on Saturday. The death toll remains at nine, while the number of Singaporeans listed as
missing has decreased to 13. All 13 of the missing are from Thailand. As for those who are
uncontactable, 50 are supposed to be in Thailand, seven in India, one in Malaysia, two in Bangladesh,
one in Myanmar, 12 in Sri Lanka, seven in Indonesia, one in the Maldives. Altogether, 1,823
Singaporeans were in the tsunami hit areas, says the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and so far 1,720 have
been contacted.
Source: By Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/125340/1/.html
Russia
Contact Established With Two Russian Families In Tsunami-Stricken Area
Russian diplomats in Bangkok have established the whereabouts of two Russian families, who were in
Thailand when a destructive tsunami wave struck the shores on December 26. "We have talked by
telephone with these Russian citizens. None of them suffered in the natural disaster," the Russian
Foreign Ministry told Interfax on Sunday. Contact has been established with about 700 Russian
citizens who were vacationing in Thailand when a quake in the ocean sent a immense tsunami wave to
the shores. Two Russian citizens, Oksana Lipuntsova and her six year old son Artyom, are on the
official death toll. Seven other Russian citizens might also have been killed in the disaster. But the
Russian embassy in Bangkok will be waiting for the identification procedures to end before it officially
confirms the deaths. In a release circulated on Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that nine
Russian citizens could have been killed in Thailand. (Cont)
Source: Interfax
http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=10737362
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Sri Lanka
LTTE War Threat Recedes After Tsunami: Chandrika
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said yesterday (Dec 30, 2004) that the threat of a war
with Tamil Tigers was "remoter" after destruction of key rebel military bases by Sunday's (Dec 26,
2004) Tsunamis. "The threat of war is remoter than on December 25 (the day before the Tsunami)
because the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) has suffered heavy casualties, if not anything
else," Kumaratunga told reporters after she visited badly-affected areas on the east coast. She said the
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) had lost almost all its main naval bases on the Northeastern
coastal belt and placed rebel casualties as "very high". Government troops had also had heavy loss of
military hardware and vehicles along the island's Eastern seaboard, she said. The Sri Lankan fatalities
in the wake of Sunday's massive earthquake and destructive Tsunamis are set to cross 29,000 with
most of the 4,500 missing people likely to be declared dead "in the next few days," Kumaratunga said.
Bodies were still being recovered by rescue workers even while she visited some of the worst affected
coastal areas today, Kumaratunga said, adding that those described as missing were most likely to have
died in the wave assault. She said the official body count now stood at 24,673. The number of people
who lost their homes due to Tsunamis' ravages was estimated at nearly a million, she said.
Source: PTI
http://news.indiainfo.com/2004/12/31/3112lanka.html
An Indian tsunami victims walk along a debris strewn beach in Havelock island, a popular tourist spot, after it was hit by
last Sunday's tsunami 40km northeast from Port Blair the main city of India's remote Andaman and Nicobar archipelago,
January 2, 2005. REUTERS/Jayanta Shaw
Landmines Causing Problems
International aid workers say the fear of displaced land mines is hampering relief efforts in Sri Lanka.
On one road that was a battlefield during Sri Lanka's 20-year ethnic war, barbed wire and red signs
bearing the skull and crossbones warn of a minefield just a few feet away. But after last weekend's
tsunami, wide swaths of earth were scooped away -- leaving muddy depressions where land mines
might have been. Now, one official with the U.N.'s World Food Program said no one knows where
they are. Munitions experts say no one has been hurt by displaced mines. And one aid group is urging
24
relief workers not to be deterred, saying starvation and disease are a greater danger. Thousands of
mines were planted during Sri Lanka's civil war, which began in 1983.
Source: The Hawaii Channel
http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/4040381/detail.html
Sri Lanka And Maldives Seen Bearing Economic Brunt Of Tsunami Tragedy
Sri Lanka and the Maldives are likely to suffer the heaviest economic consequences from the tsunami
wave disaster, with bigger economies in the region better placed to withstand the fallout, analysts said.
The economies of India, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia were in a strong position to overcome the
tragedy, they added, as the death toll from the deadly waves soared well past 100,000. "While the
tourist sector is a similar size of both Indonesia`s and Sri Lanka`s economies, the impact is likely to
vary considerably," economists at the emerging markets bank Standard Chartered wrote in a research
note. "In Indonesia the main tourist areas of Bali and Lombok are not impacted. In contrast, the extent
of the devastation on Sri Lanka suggests its tourist sector and economy will be hit harder." "Given the
size of the economies and the scale of the disaster, it is the Maldives and Sri Lanka that are worst
affected in economic terms, although all countries will be impacted." Travel and tourism represents
both directly and indirectly 74.1 percent of the gross domestic product of the Maldives and 10.8
percent of Sri Lanka, according to figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council. This compares
with figures of 14.7 percent for Malaysia, 12.2 percent for Thailand, 10.3 percent for Indonesia and 4.9
percent for India. The credit-rating service Standard and Poor`s predicted that the region`s tourism
sector would "bounce back" in the medium term, noting that the economies affected had a history of
great resilience in the aftermath of setbacks and that investment for reconstruction would help. Analyst
Ping Chew at the agency estimated that the effects on the economies of south and southeast Asia "will
be muted by the inevitable rapid reconstruction of the devastated areas". (Cont)
Source: Antara
Sri Lanka Fears Disease Amid Foreign Military Push
Sri Lanka expressed fears of disease spreading among the survivors of last week's devastating tsunamis
as floods slowed aid delivery and the death toll neared 30,000. Sri Lanka, where some 1,500 US
marines are due to take part in the relief drive, was one of the country's worst affected by the massive
waves which lashed Indian Ocean coastlines on December 26 killing more than 127,000 people.
"Spread of water-borne diseases is a serious concern," government spokesman Tara de Mel told
reporters here on Sunday. "But deaths due to disease have not be recorded so far." In the eastern
district of Ampara, 350 kilometers (218 miles) east of here by road and the worst-hit region in the
country, officials said rains had ceased and flood waters were receding Sunday, but they were worried
about sanitary conditions. "We need more toilets," chief civil administrator in Ampara, Herath
Abeyweera, said by telephone. Last week's tsunamis devastated more than three-quarters of the island's
coastline but Ampara suffered a double blow when rains dumped 330 millimeters of water, triggering a
new wave of refugees on Saturday. "Medical teams can get through to some of the camps today
because water levels have gone down, but the roads are still very bad and it takes longer to get the
supplies in," Abeyweera said.
Source: AFP on the Academic
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050102/wl_sthasia_afp/asiaquakesrilanka_050102
140736
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Sri Lanka Gets Reports Of Child Rapes After Tsunami
A teenager who escaped death but was left orphaned and homeless by the Asian tsunami met yet one
more agony: gang rape, one of several cases of child abuse being investigated in the disaster zone, an
official said. Of all the human tragedies emerging from the worst natural disaster in decades, sexual
abuse of vulnerable children in refugee camps must be among the most shocking. But experts say it's
not uncommon in times of conflict and trauma. 'When there is displacement and chaos, the possibility
of this type of behavior is higher,' Mr Harendra de Silva, head of the National Child Protection
Authority, said on Saturday. With nearly 1 million losing their homes, Sri Lanka has immediate
concerns of survival, rolling out relief trucks as cargo planes ferry food, drinking water and medical
supplies from donor nations. But psychological and behavioral problems are certain to become more
important as the authorities gain control over the life-threatening issues. Mr De Silva said his
governmental agency already is investigating several complaints of sexual abuse in centers housing
tens of thousands of survivors. (Cont)
Source: Straits Times
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/sub/latest/story/0,5562,293593,00.html
US Navy picture shows helicopters from departing from the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) en route to earthquake and
tsunami stricken Aceh province on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The helicopters were transporting supplies, bringing
in disaster relief teams and supporting humanitarian airlifts to tsunami-stricken coastal regions. Abraham Lincoln Carrier
Strike Group is currently operating in the Indian Ocean off the waters of Indonesia and Thailand(AFP/US Navy)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/photos_pl_afp/050102220537_5xh032of_photo1
Sri Lanka: More Than 12,000 Families Helped In The North And East
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has so far provided essential household items to
nearly 12,150 families in the North and East of Sri Lanka hit by the Tsunami on 26 December. Each
kit typically comprises a bucket, three bed sheets, two plastic mats, a cooking set, and soap. Many
families also received lanterns and clothing. All ICRC relief distributions were carried out in close cooperation with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS). Starting a few hours after the catastrophe,
the ICRC and the SLRCS began helping authorities in the affected areas to evacuate hundreds of
injured persons and recover corpses. In addition to its large-scale relief distributions, the ICRC has also
provided medical supplies including vaccines, antibiotics, disinfectant and bandages to hospitals in
Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi. In these areas and in the Trincomalee district the ICRC has also begun
delivering water tanks to welfare centers hosting displaced persons. (Cont)
Source: The Academic
26
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/fromthefield/110468950189.htm
LTTE Willing To Work With Sl Govt To Help Victims
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels appeared to be willing to join the Government in relief work for
Tsunami victims as President Chandrika Kumaratunga said a war with them was "remoter" now.
Reports said the rebel head of the political wing, S P Thamilselvan had indicated that the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) was willing to consider working side by side with State agencies to
help thousands stranded in the Tsunami disaster. "(We are) seeking cooperation to take further
humanitarian delivery," Thamilselvan was quoted as saying. The LTTE was invited, through
Norwegian facilitators, to be a part of the huge Government effort to deliver aid to an estimated million
people who were made refugees after Sunday's (Dec 26, 2004) Tsunami wave attack. Kumaratunga
said renewed fighting with the Tamil Tigers was not likely with the rebels' main naval bases on the east
coast taking direct hits from the Tsunami. "The threat of war is remoter than on December 25 (the day
before the Tsunami) because the LTTE has suffered heavy casualties, if not anything else," she told
reporters yesterday (Dec 30, 2004). Casualty figures could rise to 29,000 with most of the 4,500
missing people likely to be declared dead "in the next few days", Kumaratunga said, adding the cost of
reconstruction over 800 kilometers of coastline would be about SL Rs 100 billion, a little less than a
billion US Dollars.
Source: PTI
http://news.indiainfo.com/2004/12/31/3112tigers.html
Main Refuge Camps At Kinniya And Muthur In Eastern Sri Lanka
The total displaced in Trincomalee district nears 90000.Muslim refugees are reported to have no
enough infrastructure facilities in the area a source said. The main camps are identified as follow
Kinniya central college, Hira girles school, Al Aqsa Maha vidyalaya, Nadu oottu Mahavidyalaya,
Kuttikarathi Muslim Mahavidyalaya, soorangal Muslim Mahavidyalaaya, Grand Jumma mosque, Jawa
mosque, Junction Mosque and Mahamaru aligar vidyalaya, These camps are located in Kinniya . In
Muthur an estimated 41136 Muslim refugees have taken shelter at following camps located in schools.
Muthur central college, Al Hilal boys school, Muslim ladies college, Annahar girls school, Ashraf
Mahavidyalaya, and Manarul huda Madrasa. The deadly tidal waves have left the precious lives of
thousands of Muslims in calamity and panic and sent the shock waves into the minds of people
survived. “At the movement the need for counseling also becomes a must, as the people who lost their
kith and kin are suffering from stress and psychological unrest. The vulnerable situation necessitates
the counseling” a social relief worker claimed.
Source: Muslim Guardian
http://www.muslimguardian.com/portal/page?_pageid=33,36293&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Sri Lanka Struggles To Cope With Offers Of Aid
Sri Lanka was on Wednesday struggling to cope with offers of assistance from the United Nations and
dozens of aid organizations as the death toll from Sunday’s tsunami rose to at least 22,000. The
government, led by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, has admitted that it is was not ready to manage
the foreign medical teams and emergency supplies flowing into country three days after disaster struck
the Indian Ocean island. “We are asking those who want to come to Sri Lanka (to help) to please
wait,” Tilak Ranaviraja, the new head of the government’s disaster management team, told a high-level
meeting of UN agencies and aid groups on Wednesday. “We are getting unprecedented support from
all countries. Right now we are unable to handle it,” he said. According to people at the meeting, Mr.
27
Ranaviraja accepted that the government faced serious problems disposing of decaying bodies,
coordinating supplies to the worst-hit locations, and housing thousands of displaced survivors. In a
measure of how much the catastrophe has stunned Sri Lanka’s government, Mr. Ranaviraja,
commissioner general of essential services, said his team had at first expected a death toll of 2,500.
(Cont)
Source: Financial Times
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/ebc3bd48-5989-11d9-ba09-00000e2511c8.html
Sri Lankan Tsunami Survivors Face Sex Abuse
Two girls who survived Sri Lanka's tsunami tragedy were allegedly sexually abused at a refugee
shelter, officials said on Sunday. The National Child Protection Authority said it was investigating
allegations the girls were attacked in the southern district of Galle. Nearly a million people were driven
out of their homes after last week's deadly sea surge in Sri Lanka caused by a 9.0-scale undersea
earthquake off Indonesia. "The problem is that the police are also stretched to the limit at the moment,"
NCPA chief Harendra de Silva said. "But we are taking strong action to ensure that offenders are
severely dealt with," he said adding sexual abuse did not appear to be widespread at the camps. He said
the NCPA was also investigating the report of a gang rape of a 17-year-old in Galle district. "We are
not certain if it is before or after the (tsunami) tragedy," he said. Doctors in the district said they had
complaints from several women that they had been either raped or were subjected to sexual assault and
robbery as they escaped the surging waves, especially in the Galle district. Nearly 30,000 people were
killed in the tragedy, the worst disaster in Sri Lanka's living memory.
Source: Agence France-Presse
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1180380,001301540003.htm
Sri Lanka's Tsunami Death Toll Nears 30,000
Some 29,729 people are confirmed dead and 5,240 reported missing in Sri Lanka after last week's
tsunami devastation, officials said today. At least 16, 665 people living on over three-quarters of the
island's coastline were injured and some 805,978 people made homeless in the giant wave violence, the
Disaster Management Unit in the president's office said. Officials put the number of houses destroyed
at 91,059 while 24,942 were partly damaged. President Chandrika Kumaratunaga said on Thursday
that she expected the casualty figure to rise "in the next few days" as the people listed as missing were
declared dead. She said the cost of reconstruction would be a little under a billion US dollars and
expected the massive operation to begin on January 15. Heavy rains in some of the affected areas in
the east were stalling rescue and relief efforts, officials said, as more than 10,000 people affected by
floods in the Ampara district joined thousands of tsunami victims in refugee centers. At least 15 camps
were flooded yesterday and the displaced had to be evacuated to higher ground in Ampara, the region
to be worst hit by the tsunami deluge.
Source: Newkerala
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=53864
The Latest Report On Trincomalee District
An overall estimation of death, missing and physical damage has indicated that there has been a
massive slightly lost of millions of rupees in Trincomalee district. Currently the precious lives of an
estimated 800 deaths 188 missing 1200 wounded 94000 displaced have been registered. The tragedy of
sea terror caused destroying properties beyond the comprehension which worth millions of millions.
The current estimation has shown that the total lost would be at around 900 million rupees. The
28
majority of death is reported from Kinniya where death toll mounts 413.Muthur nears 260 Nilaweli
tops 57.Kuthewali and Pulmoddai represents 42, 01 respectively. Meantime the fate of hundreds
missed is unknown. A number of social welfare organizations and religious relief operational teams
have been working in restoration process but they find it hard to speed up the rehabilitation measures
as non availability of Government support and incapability of continuation of process depending on
their own. The social institutions that rally round to extend their support to rebuild appeal to the
government agencies and other nongovernmental institutions to lend their hands to the distressed
families in the aftermath tidal terror which took the lives at around 800.The rehabilitation project
should focus on two-Pronged strategies i.e. Action plan for immediate future and long term plan. The
urgent need is to get a first hand account of the damage a source claimed.
Source: Muslim Nation
A member of the US Navy from the USS Abraham Lincoln prepares bottled water at the airport in Banda Aceh ahead of a
planned supply lift to victims of last week's killer earthquake and tsunami in Meulaboh, along the coast. It was reported that
disaster survivors swarmed US Navy helicopters bringing emergency rations to two other hard-hit communities on the
isolated west coast of Aceh, a naval commander said(AFP)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/photos_pl_afp/050102220537_5xh032of_photo2
4 Hong Kongers Missing In Tsunami-Hit Sri Lanka
Four Hong Kong passport holders Sunday were confirmed missing in the aftermath of last Sunday's
huge tsunami disaster in Sri Lanka. Cai Zhiyuan, an official with the immigration department of the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, who is on rescue mission here, told
Xinhua that nine Hong Kongers have been confirmed safe through various channels since Friday
evening, making the previous figure of 6 slide down. Cai said that the number of missing Hong
Kongers was 15 on Saturday and on Sunday the number decreased to 6. Cai, among the four-member
special task force assigned by the HKSAR government, arrived in Colombo Wednesday to clinch the
whereabouts of all missing Hong Kongers in Sri Lanka and the Maldives during the tsunami tragedy.
"We will do our best to offer them all the aid they need," said Cai. The rescue team Friday brought
back one holding HKSAR passport and one holding passport of China from the southern port city of
Matara. The pair, having served a local business there for years, told Xinhua that they were stuck in the
battered coastal city and could not stand the poor living conditions in the aftermath of the tsunami
disaster. Cai said the team will keep on the rescue effort till the rest of missing people are found.
29
Source: Xinhua
Thailand
Tsunamis' Official Death Toll Rises To Nearly 5,000
Thailand's official death toll of tsunamis, striking the country's southern coastlines on 26 December,
has risen to nearly 5,000 this morning, with over 10,000 injured and scores of others still missing. The
government's relief centre for the tsunami-affected areas announced this afternoon that the official
death toll had risen to 4,985, with 10,350 injured and 6,424 still missing. In Phang-nga alone, the
centre said, the official death toll had increased to 3,943, with 5,597 injured. Operations by state
officials and volunteers to search for the missing ones have continued. The unprecedented tsunamis,
caused by one of the world's strongest earthquakes in the Indonesian resort island of Sumatra, hit
Thailand's six southern coastal provinces, including Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and
Satun, last Sunday. Other Asian and African countries were also hit by the tsunamis, including
Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Madacasca and Somalia,
leaving nearly 150,000 dead totally so far, and thousands others injured and still missing. Meanwhile,
about 80% of hotels in Phuket, where some of its beaches, including Patong, are returning to normal,
have resumed their services, and have offered 50-75% discounts. Some national parks in the affected
areas have also been re-opened to visitors, including the Tarutao, Phetra, and Chao Mai National
Parks.
Source: TNA
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=34379
Number Of Missing Cut To Under 4,000
The number of missing tsunami victims was scaled down sharply yesterday to 3,810 from 6,541 a day
earlier, after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra noted that the figure had not been adjusted to reflect
further discoveries of numerous dead bodies. A more coordinated system has now been adopted
resulting in an updated count of the missing, Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula said. All people listed
as missing whose bodies have already been found and those people listed as missing but who were
later located alive have been dropped from the earlier list. A website set up to handle the latest
information about the missing has also been helpful in updating the figure, Bhokin added. Thaksin said
that the latest data from the Immigration Bureau and various airline lists about foreign tourists leaving
Thailand after the tsunami would also be incorporated into a constant update of the list of the missing.
The official death toll from the December 26 killer waves was 4,993 yesterday, about half of them
foreign tourists. Authorities were unable to identify more than 300 badly decomposed copses to decide
if they belonged to Thais or foreigners. Searches for corpses continued unabated yesterday, a week
after the deadly tsunami struck the beaches and shores of six southern provinces facing the Andaman
Sea. Some bodies were found buried in mud and debris as far as three kilometers inland. (Cont)
Source: The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/01/03/national/index.php?news=national_15952044.html
Search For Victims Enters Final Stage
Body collection will end on Wednesday. The search for bodies of tsunami victims in Phangnga, the
country's worst-hit province, has entered the final stage and collection of bodies is expected to end on
Wednesday, said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suvit Khunkitti. Large-scale search
30
operations in the devastated areas have ended, said the minister, who spoke in his capacity as chief of
the Tsunami Disaster Relief Centre. Focus would be placed on the few remaining spots, including old
mining holes in Ban Nam Khem and some mangrove forest areas in Takua Pa district, where a large
number of victims were possibly trapped. After the operation ends on Wednesday, a special unit would
be set up to coordinate with tidal wave victims who want rescuers to search for their relatives in
particular spots, he said. Mr Suvit yesterday met hotel and resort owners affected by the Dec 26
tsunami, urging them to cooperate and help rescue workers to inspect and search for victims in their
compounds. Many hotel and resort operators had barred rescue workers and the media from entering
their premises, saying they preferred to conduct the rescue operation on their own. Meanwhile, search
operations were making progress in Phangnga, where 4,700 dead have been found so far. (Cont)
Source: Bangkok Post; KULTIDA SAMABUDDHI
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/03Jan2005_news08.php
Ayutthaya Elephants Brought In To Clear Debris
Six elephants from the Ayutthaya elephant shelter have been transported by truck to Takua Pa district
of Phangnga to help in clearing debris from wave-struck areas. Kuekrit Khaolamai, manager of the
elephant shelter, said the elephants were trained to haul heavy materials and would be of much use in
the clean-up operation. The elephant shelter and Takua Pa district office would designate areas suitable
for the elephants to work, such as high slope areas, he said. Mr Kuekrit conceded the animals would be
working under risky conditions as they could get stuck in the muddy soil. ``We will bring more
elephants here if the authorities find they are useful for the clean-up operation,'' he said.
Source: Bangkok Post
American Navy flight crewsmen and medical personals carry an injured evacuee from Sampo, Aceh province for further
treatment in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province in northwestern Indonesia Sunday Jan. 2, 2005. The US has
conducted its largest relief operation since Vietnam war following the earthquake-triggered Tsunami last week that killed
more than 80,000 people in Indonesia alone and soared to 150,000 across Asia and Africa. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/481/xeh10701022202
31
Dozens Of Navy Officers Killed By Tsunamis
Dozens of navy officers who were based in Thailand's southern coastal provinces died from last week's
tsunami attack. The Royal Thai Navy announced yesterday that over 30 navy officers were killed by
the tsunamis, which hit the country's six southern coastal provinces, including Phuket, Phang-nga,
Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun, on 26 December. The death toll of navy officers on the Similan
Island alone was 30, the Royal Thai Navy said in a statement. Nearly 10 others were found dead in
other tsunami-affected areas, namely Khao Lak in Phang-nga Province and Koh Surin off Krabi
Province, the statement disclosed.
Source: TNA
Fears Over Mental State Of Some 800 Survivors
At least 800 survivors of last week’s killer tsunami are suffering from post-traumatic stress, medical
officials said yesterday. “Seven of the victims have serious symptoms and require close medical
attention,” Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan. Sudarat said that traumatized survivors are
experiencing stress, confusion and fear that another killer wave may hit again. Of the more than 800
people suffering from post-traumatic stress, 348 were in Phang Nga, 277 in Krabi, 237 in Phuket and
17 in Rayong. Patients showing more serious symptoms are being treated in a hospital in Surat Thani.
Sudarat said mental rehabilitation for emotionally devastated victims is high on the to-do list of her
ministry, in addition to providing treatment to the physically injured as well as trying to pre-empt
outbreaks of diseases. (Cont)
Source: The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/01/03/headlines/index.php?news=headlines_15952023.html
Govt Joins With Police To Set Up 7-Language Tsunami Website
The Ministry of Public Health and the Royal Thai Police have joined hands to launch a website
providing information on the dead, injured and missing from last Sunday's tsunamis in seven
languages. The website, [www.csiphuket.com], touted as Thailand's official site on the tsunamis,
brings together continually updated lists of the dead, injured and missing from all six affected
provinces, including Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun. Information is available in
Thai, English, Chinese, Japanese, French, German and Spanish. Announcing the launch of the website
yesterday, Dr. Narongsakdi Aungkasuvapala, the Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health, also
praised tour guides who were volunteering their time to help foreign survivors of the tragedy and those
looking for their missing friends and relatives.
Source: TNA
Democracy Groups Call For Postponement Of Election
Democracy activists today joined calls for the general election to be postponed until the end of
February in order for Thailand to recover from the aftermath of last week's tsunamis. Mr. Suriyasai
Katasila, Secretary-General of the Democracy Campaign Committee, said that the next general
election should be put off until 27 February in order that both the public and the private sectors could
concentrate on easing the situation in the six southern provinces affected by the tsunamis--Phuket,
Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun-- before the launch of election campaigns. Describing the
tsunamis as a disaster that had affected the entire nation, he said that the original election date of 6
February would not give time for election preparations. Although the Election Commission of
32
Thailand (EC) has considered delaying the election until 13 February, Mr. Suriyasai said that a mere
one week's postponement would make little difference. He also called on political parties to place
issues concerning environmental resources in their election manifestos, saying that last week's disaster
necessitated an overhaul of policies to include issues involving the revival of the affected provinces.
Source: TNA
41 Nations Assist Thailand's Tsunami Relief Effort
Thailand has received donations and assistance from 41 nations and 10 international organizations to
help with its tsunami relief effort, Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula revealed today. Mr. Bhokin
made the announcement after holding talks with a delegation from Switzerland led by Foreign Minister
Micheline Calmy-Rey, who traveled to the country's southern resort province of Phuket to express her
condolences to Thailand. Around 20 Swiss nationals are thought to have been killed by last Sunday's
tsunamis, while scores more are still missing. The Swiss delegation was scheduled to travel to
hospitals around Phuket to visit survivors. The unprecedented tsunamis on 26 December hit the
kingdom's six southern provinces of Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun, leaving
nearly 5,000 dead, with over 10,000 injured and over 6,000 more still missing so far.
Source: TNA
United States
Whereabouts Of Some From U.S. Military Communities Still Unknown
U.S. military authorities in South Korea on Friday were continuing their efforts to account for
members of their military communities who were or may have been in the disaster-stricken areas, said
Army Col. MaryAnn Cummings, chief spokeswoman for U.S. Forces Korea, in Seoul. A Marine
spokeswoman on Okinawa said Wednesday that officials there had not been made aware of anyone
missing; no update was given Thursday. Bases in Japan reported earlier this week that all personnel
were accounted for. Department of Defense Dependents Schools-Pacific officials said Wednesday that
14 teachers believed to have been vacationing in Thailand were unaccounted for. DODDS-Pacific
officials did not respond to requests for an update on Thursday. Americans looking for information
about a missing person or with information about someone can call the American Citizen Services hot
line in Thailand at 66-2-205-4049, or ask questions or submit information at [email protected].
United Kingdom
UK Tsunami Death Toll Rises To 40
The British death toll from the Asian tsunami disaster has increased to 40, with five more deaths
confirmed in Sri Lanka, the Foreign Office said. There are now 29 confirmed British deaths in
Thailand, eight in Sri Lanka and three in the Maldives. A Foreign Office spokesman refused to
speculate on the number of Britons who were missing following the catastrophe. Reports have
suggested that the British death toll could rise to more than 100, with dozens still unaccounted for.
Two tracing experts working for the British Red Cross were traveling to Sri Lanka to help the search
for those who are still missing. Christin Nazari and Kevin Studds will provide mobile satellite phones
33
so that anyone found alive and safe can call their relatives to set their minds at rest. But they are also
prepared for the grueling task of breaking bad news to families when bodies are found. Mr Studds, 41,
from London, said: "Our job is to bring family news to separated loved ones. "We hope to make it
easier for family members to learn news of their relatives. "We're aware that at times this will mean
breaking bad news but sometimes the certainty of knowing is preferable to not knowing."
Source: ThisisLondon
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/PA_NEWDEATHQuakeSun16UKdeaths?source=&ct=5
Relief workers unload crates of bottled water at the Car Nicobar airbase on January 2, 2005. The United States may
eventually spend billions of dollars to help Asia recover from last week's devastating tsunami, a leading Republican U.S.
senator said as the Bush administration battled criticism it had been slow to respond. The $350 million in aid pledged so far
by President Bush (news - web sites) represents the entire U.S. foreign disaster assistance budget, and Congress will work
to pass emergency legislation to go 'well beyond' that figure, said U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar (news, bio, voting record), an
Indiana Republican and head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. (Altaf Hussain/Reuters)
Global Response/Relief Efforts By Donor
General
World Pledges $2 Billion As Tsunami Death Toll Rises
Despite a massive outpouring of donations, emergency aid for the victims of last week's devastating
tsunami in the Indian Ocean basin is only just beginning to trickle into some of the hardest hit regions.
Although some relief groups expressed frustration with the delays, United Nations officials say they
expect to be able to help the vast majority of those affected. Pledges for tsunami disaster relief efforts
topped $2 billion, the U.N. undersecretary general in charge of emergency relief said Saturday.
According to Jan Egeland, more than 40 countries have donated funds for short-term recovery efforts
and long-term reconstruction. Japan has so far made the largest pledge of $500 million, while the
United States has promised $350 million. But nearly a week after the massive tsunami rolled across the
Indian Ocean, Mr. Egeland warned that hunger and disease remain the biggest threat to the survivors.
34
He said emergency relief efforts have been hampered by the destruction of roads, bridges and airports
in the affected areas. "We need helicopter carriers. We need ships with helicopters that can be outside
of the coasts and not clog further up the airstrips where you see inland. Several countries, including the
United States, Australia and India, are already helping in this," he said. In Indonesia, two American
helicopters sent from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln landed in Banda Aceh, a provincial
capital on Sumatra Island, bringing food and medical supplies to one of the hardest hit areas. (Cont)
Source: Voice of America, 2 Jan 2005
http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-01-02-voa1.cfm
Tsunami Aid Pours In But Airports Prove Bottlenecks
A multinational force of aid workers, military aircraft and ships descended on Asia as global tsunami
relief pledges topped $1.36 billion, but the hundreds of tons of aid created a logistical nightmare. The
hardest part still proved to be getting aid from clogged airports out to areas rendered barely accessible
by the destruction of roads, phones, boats and harbors -- but some aid was finally getting through on
Saturday, six days on. With airports under strain, Australian military transporters had to be diverted
from the worst-hit area, Indonesia's northern province of Aceh where 80,000 are dead. Military bases
in Singapore, untouched by the tsunami, opened their gates to store emergency supplies in warehouses.
Aid officials, often not aware of what aid was coming until the aircraft doors opened, urged donors to
let them know in advance what they were flying in. Across the Indian Ocean region, they battled to
coordinate efforts to help millions of people made homeless by the massive waves, unleashed by an
undersea quake, that killed over 124,000 people. Supplies that had been stacked up at the airport in
Aceh's capital Banda Aceh, for want of onward transport, were reaching the city itself to which many
survivors have fled, with ample supplies of eggs, rice, noodles and biscuits seen at one camp. Little,
though, was making it by land to people in remoter areas. U.S. military helicopters, from an aircraft
carrier sent to the region to help out, joined in air drops for cut-off communities, but compared to
trucks the amounts were small. Banda Aceh airport can handle large military aircraft due to a longrunning secessionist conflict, but with only one runway it was groaning under the weight of a roundthe-clock operation and giant Antonov and C-130 transporters. (Cont)
Source: Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7216303
Helpers Battle Sri Lanka Floods
Aid teams in Sri Lanka are battling the aftermath of flash floods that impeded relief work for tsunami
survivors. More than 29,700 people are confirmed dead across the island, and 5,000 more remain
missing since the disaster. A top UN official told the BBC that the priority was still to stop the spread
of disease, but it was also time to start trying to bring back normal life. National cricketers who
abandoned a tour in New Zealand after the disaster visited survivors and affected areas. Reports say
the heavy rain from earlier in the weekend had begun to ease on Sunday, but camps hit by flash floods
were still under some water. The Ampara region on the east coast was devastated by the waves
triggered by the massive earthquake a week ago, and took the brunt of the downpours. "Medical teams
can get through to some of the camps today because water levels have gone down, but the roads are
still very bad and it takes longer to get the supplies in," a local administrator, Herath Abeyweera, told
the AFP news agency. "We urgently need to improve the sanitary condition. We need more toilets." At
one camp near the village of Karaitivu in Ampara there are just two toilets for 300 families, Reuters
news agency reported, and the rain compounded the misery. "We already lost our homes. We came
here then the rains came and took away our bundles, everything we had left," GK Sambasivam, 65,
35
told Reuters. He said he had been forced to move to a ramshackle government building after water
flooded the camp where he sought shelter after the tsunami, which he feared killed 50 of his relatives.
(Cont)
Source: BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4141115.stm
Urgent Need Is Getting Full Account Of The Physical Damages-Say Social Workers
Death toll by devastating sea tidal terror has climbed to 27000 with eventual toll almost likely to near
30000. The accurate and exact rate of missing and wounded is not available now mainly due to the fact
that the recovering the floating death bodies is still continuing. It is reported that relief work to the
hardest hit areas not given yet high priority as the Government agencies are inactive in speeding up the
process. There is also an allegation that only 10 percentages of Government relief works reached the
most affected coastal belt. Despite UAS, Pakistan, India, and some Arab countries came forward to
extend their hand toward unprepared Sri Lanka; the people victimized are hardly getting the relief.
President and opposition leader yesterday visited the areas swollen by tidal waves but this visit was not
instantly embarked upon any silver lining in cloudiest lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Some
non –governmental organizations that have rallied around in rehabilitation and relief exercise hardly
criticized the government for its inactiveness in accelerating the massive relief network process. (Cont)
Source: Muslim Guardian
US Navy soldiers load food and water into Seahawk helicopter as part of relief aid for refugees to a damaged village of
Teunom, near Meulabo, 170 km southwest from Banda Aceh, in Aceh province, Indonesia, seven days after a quaketriggered tsunami hit southeastern Asia. An unprecedented global aid operation gathered steam to save survivors of Asia's
tsunamis as signs crept up of disease in the overflowing morgues after the disaster that claimed more than 127,000
lives.(AFP/Choo Youn-Kong)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/photos_ts_afp/050102174700_h0l1dc90_photo0
Fraudsters Try To Swindle Tsunami Donations
Suspected fraudsters are trying to swindle tsunami relief donations by sending out fake fund-raising emails, the Hong Kong branch of aid group Oxfam said on Sunday. Oxfam informed local police about
the e-mails, which call on recipients to deposit donations into a Cyprus bank account and fax deposit
receipts to an office in Spain, the group said in a statement. Lum Kwok-choi, an Oxfam spokesman in
Hong Kong, said the unauthorized e-mails contained excerpts from the group's press releases
36
describing its relief efforts and mentioned other aid groups as well. Oxfam Hong Kong has set up two
local bank accounts to receive donations for relief efforts in areas struck by tsunamis after a magnitude
9.0 quake hit off the coast of Indonesia on Dec. 26. The waves swept southern Asian coastlines and
Africa's east coast, killing more than 123,000.
Source: AP
Long-Term Relief Could Take Time
As many as one million survivors of the tsunamis might have to wait another five days before they see
long-term relief from the U.N. United Nations humanitarian chief Jan Egeland said it will take at least
five days, maybe more, to get organized relief to the hardest hit areas of Indonesia. U.N. humanitarian
chief Jan Egeland said relief is tough to get through to where it's needed because roads have been
destroyed, along with ports and airfields. He says it could take days for food, water and supplies to get
to affected areas. He said ships with helicopters are needed, so planes can use available landing strips.
Egeland said the death toll will probably exceed the 150,000 he estimated because some people
washed out to sea will never be found. This comes as hungry survivors there scrounge among dead
bodies and destroyed homes for food and supplies. One resident said everyone needs water and
children are starting to get sick. But Egeland says getting help to the region takes time because officials
must provide enough shelter, clothing, food and water to last for days and weeks. Overall, the U.N.
said it's planning relief for 1.8 million people across Southeast Asia.
Searchers Ready To Call Off Hunt For Tsunami Survivors
Death Toll At 123,000
Relatives of those still missing from last weekend's massive tsunami are not ready to give up hope,
even if rescue crews apparently are. Officials in Indonesia say there is very little chance of finding
survivors and they may soon end their efforts. Indonesia was among the hardest hit countries by last
Sunday's tidal waves. More than 80,000 people were killed in the disaster there and many say that
number could climb past 100,000. Overall, the death toll in the region has climbed past 123,000.
Despite the pessimistic assessment, Indonesian rescuers Sunday found a trapped fisherman alive. The
24-year-old man was found under his beached boat, severely dehydrated. He was rushed to a hospital
where doctors gave him intravenous fluids. Doctors say he could barely speak and suffered cuts.
Meanwhile, relatives of other missing victims continue to search for survivors. Relatives of the missing
went on TV Sunday to describe their loved ones in the hope that someone, somewhere might bring
them home alive. Elsewhere, the focus turned to getting as much aid as possible to survivors. (Cont)
Aid Organizations
UN Aid Chief Appeals For Logistical Support As Tsunami Relief Supplies Stack Up
The United Nations Humanitarian chief says the biggest challenge in helping victims of last Sunday's
tsunami is distributing supplies. Jan Egeland says there is a struggle to deliver the food, water and
medical supplies that are now pouring into south Asian countries. Mr. Egeland appealed for helicopters
and ships to, in his words, "race against the clock" in delivering aid to remote areas. He says the death
37
toll from the tsunami is likely to exceed 150,000. Health officials fear diseases such as cholera and
typhoid could double that number. Large quantities of supplies are stacking up at regional airports,
because roads, bridges and airstrips in the hardest hit areas have been badly damaged. Fuel shortages
have also hampered distribution. The U.S. military began delivering aid to villages on Indonesia's
hard-hit island of Sumatra. There, hungry and homeless villagers mobbed helicopters carrying
supplies. Nearly 100 aftershocks have hit the region following Sunday's quake, but none have
produced a tsunami.
Source: Voice of America News
ADB Extends $325 Million For Tsunami-Hit Countries
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Friday it was making US$325 million immediately
available to countries ravaged by a massive earthquake and tidal waves that killed almost 125,000 in
the region. The allocation was in response to requests from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Maldives for help
to finance reconstruction and rehabilitation work after the deadly tsunamis on Sunday. About $175
million already allocated for these three countries for other operations would be reprogrammed for
reconstruction and relief efforts, the ADB said in a statement from its headquarters in the Philippine
capital. Another $150 million in soft loans would also be made available, the bank said. "This is an
unprecedented disaster and we are moving quickly to assist those countries in their hour of need,"
ADB president Tadao Chino was quoted as saying. This immediate funding was only an initial
contribution, the ADB said, adding that more resources would be made available as ADB teams
assessed what was needed and as affected governments and communities identified longer term
priorities. ADB teams are already in place to identify high priority operations for reconstruction work
that must get under way during the next six months, the bank said.
Source: AFP
Indian rescue workers cremate the body of a tsunami victim in Nagapattinam, 350 km (219 miles) south of the Indian city
of Madras, January 2, 2005. A week after a massive undersea quake off Sumatra triggered giant waves across the Indian
Ocean, a multinational force of aid workers, military aircraft and navy ships battled nightmarish logistical obstacles to
deliver aid to millions. REUTERS/Amit Dave
38
Tsunami Aid Tops $1.2 bn: UN
With the US raising its contribution ten-fold to $350 million, the combined pledges of governments
and international organizations for the relief of victims of the tsunami disaster have gone up to about
$1.2 billion, the United Nations has announced. But, the UN officials say while money is pouring in,
the major obstacle now is of logistics, distribution and reaching the aid to people in the hardest hit
areas. More pledges came as the UN said the death toll in the unprecedented tragedy may be
approaching 150,000. India, which is among the worst-hit countries, has already politely declined
international offers of assistance. (Cont)
Source: The Times Of India
400 Ton Of UNHCR Shelter, Relief Supplies Bound For Aceh
More than 400 ton of shelter and other emergency supplies will soon be on their way to the tsunamibattered Indonesian province of Aceh as the UN refugee agency starts a series of airlifts from its
warehouses in Copenhagen and Dubai this weekend. The airlifts are scheduled to start on Sunday,
bringing emergency assistance for an initial 100,000 people in Aceh a week after a massive earthquake
and ensuing tidal waves hit the region. In all, about half a million people are estimated to be affected in
Aceh, which was closest to the earthquake's epicenter. "We will be immediately providing shelter
material for about one-fifth of the estimated affected population, but this is just the start of our
operation," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Ruud Lubbers. "Their homes and entire towns
and villages have been obliterated by the earthquake and tidal waves, so people are in desperate need
of emergency shelter. UNHCR has extensive experience in refugee emergency response, so we are
going to do everything we can as part of the overall UN effort." From Copenhagen, four flights are
scheduled using an Antonov 124 and an Ilyushin 76. They will airlift 100,000 blankets, 20,000 plastic
sheets, 20,000 kitchen sets and 20,000 jerry cans. (Cont)
Source: Reuters
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/UNHCR/ca6f4046aae2cbe6ccffeacee00f569c.htm
Annan Says Tsunami Recovery Efforts Will Take Years
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan says it will take up to 10 years to rebuild areas of
southern Asia devastated by last week's tsunami and earthquake. Mr. Annan says the disaster is the
largest the U.N. has ever dealt with. The tsunami wreaked havoc from Malaysia to east Africa, leaving
at least 127,000 dead. Mr. Annan will head to south Asia later this week for a summit on relief efforts.
World leaders attending the conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, will also make an appeal for more aid.
The international community has pledged $2 billion so far. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell heads
to the region today to inspect damage in Thailand and Indonesia. He told NBC television the $350
million pledged by the United States may have to be increased, saying the catastrophe is one of the
worst the world has ever seen.
Source: Voice of America
IMF Says No Discussion Yet On Indonesia Debt Relief
The International Monetary Fund has yet to discuss any debt relief plan with Indonesia, as it focuses on
providing relief to victims of the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis that killed almost 80,000 people in
the nation. "The immediate concern is to provide as much relief as possible to the affected areas," the
International Monetary Fund said today in a faxed statement. "Given the critical importance of
39
immediate relief efforts, there have not yet been discussions on financial assistance, including any
form of debt relief." The extent and impact of the damage will be assessed in the coming weeks and
months, the International Monetary Fund said. The death toll in Indonesia is rising as rescue workers
reach remote areas previously inaccessible because of damaged roads. More than 108,000 people have
been displaced in Aceh province, Indonesia's hardest hit area on the northern tip of Sumatra island.
International Monetary Fund officials yesterday said the organization will consider rescheduling some
of $9.8 billion of Indonesian debt as part of its response to the Dec. 26 tsunamis in Asia and Africa.
The International Monetary Fund, with 184 member countries, has $97 billion in loans outstanding to
84 countries. The lender was created in 1944 to create economic growth and exchange-rate stability.
Source: Bloomberg
An aerial view of the eroded shore line at Hut Bay on the Little Andaman island in India's tsunami hit remote Andaman and
Nicobar archipelago, January 2, 2005. India raised the number of people killed or feared killed in last week's tsunami to
14,488 on Sunday, up by more than 1,700 since the previous evening's estimate. REUTERS/Altaf Hussain
Australia
Koizumi Kayoes Bush’s Millions
Japan pledges $500 m in relief, a day after US hikes amount to $350 m
The Bush administration’s lead yesterday in raising tsunami relief assistance tenfold became shortlived when Japan’s Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi today pledged $500 million in aid, leaving every
40
other country way behind. The White House, which has been severely criticized all week within the
US and abroad for what critics called its “stinginess” in providing tsunami relief assistance, yesterday
took the bull by its horns and decided to lead every other country and international organization by
increasing its aid 10 times to $350 million. At the time of writing, a wave of compassion for tsunami
victims, boosted by seasonal Christmas and new year sympathy, boosted pledges of aid by
governments and multilateral organizations to $1.6 billion. And this figure, which does not include
contributions by philanthropists and corporations, is rising. Despite an unprecedented outpouring of
sympathy and cash worldwide, it may be weeks before such aid actually reaches many victims because
of coordination, destruction of infrastructure in tsunami-hit areas and a variety of other problems. In
Indonesia, which has been worst affected, US navy helicopters have moved into action dropping
emergency food. Australia’s defense forces have also been engaged in relief action. (Cont)
Source: The Telegraph India
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1050102/asp/frontpage/story_4202849.asp
Australian Air Force Rescues Tsunami Refugees
Australian air force staged an emotional mercy mission today, taking scores of tsunami survivors out
of Indonesia's disaster-struck Aceh province. The homeless and distraught refugees waited more than a
day in heat and rain to board the flight to the safety of Medan, Sumatra's biggest city. Having lost
loved ones and almost all their possessions, they burst into smiles when they were finally crammed
inside the RAAF C-130 Hercules at Banda Aceh airport. "Thank you Australia. Thank you," Nita said
as she walked up the ramp into the plane's cavernous hull and sat down on the floor. "With Australia's
help we can start again." More than 170 people were packed inside before takeoff. "We don't think we
have ever had this many people in this type of Herc before, so we think it's a record," ground crewman
Carl said. "What we're doing makes you feel pretty good," pilot Peter Stone said. Earlier the No 37
squadron flight disgorged hundreds of boxes of water and food for international aid agency Doctors
Without Borders. They also ferried in a search and rescue team from Mexico. (Cont)
Australians Told Not To Search For Bodies
Australians shouldn't travel to tsunami-hit areas across Asia in search of the bodies of loved ones killed
last week because the rapid decomposition of corpses has made visual identification impossible, the
government said on Sunday. 'It will be only possible to achieve identification through dental records or
DNA,' Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said. Twelve Australians have been confirmed dead as a
result of the Dec 26 disaster and officials have warned that with 107 others missing and feared dead,
the death toll is likely to go much higher.
Source: AP
More Australian Aid As Military Moves In
Australia has boosted its commitment to the world's biggest peace-time military relief effort across
tsunami-ravaged Asia, with four Iroquois helicopters to arrive today in Indonesia. About 800
Australian troops are among thousands of soldiers from five countries backed by warships and planes
loaded with food and medicine which are descending on Sri Lanka, Sumatra and Thailand. An
Australian Army team of 90 medical personnel capable of operating a 55-bed hospital arrived in Aceh
last night. Australia's military response to the crisis has been echoed around the world, with countries
41
including the U.S., Japan, New Zealand and Singapore pledging their military in the mercy mission.
About 200 U.S. Marines will spearhead a landing in the southern Sri Lankan town of Galle today to
co-ordinate relief operations. A U.S. carrier battle group is off Sumatra where its helicopters are
ferrying supplies to the worst-hit regions. Drops of food and medicine are occurring across the affected
areas. Helicopters are evacuating the dead and injured. Desperate and homeless villagers yesterday
mobbed U.S. helicopters shuttling supplies and advance teams. "They came from all directions,
crawling under the craft, knocking on the pilot's door, pushing to get into the cabin," said a U.S.
soldier. "But when they saw we had no more food inside, they backed away, saying `Thank you, thank
you'. "The mob decided how we distributed the food. There were so many hands outstretched I don't
think a package hit the ground." (Cont)
Source: The Advertiser, By Craig Clarke and Denis Gray
http://www.pacom.mil/articles/articles2005/050102story3.shtml
China
Mainland
China To Send Second Aid Shipment To Tsunami-Hit Countries Jan. 2
China will carry out its second batch of humanitarian aid to the tsunami-hit countries on Jan. 2, the
Foreign Ministry said Saturday. Foreign Minister Li Zhaox ing presided over a meeting Saturday with
officials from other ministries on the assistance work to the countries suffered from last Sunday's
earthquake-triggered tsunami. The meeting said the first batch of spot exchange and relief supplies
had already arrived in relevant countries. The additional 500 million yuan (60.46 million US dollars) in
humanitarian aid which Premier Wen Jiabao announced to offer for the earthquake- and tsunami-hit
countries will be carried out "orderly according to their requirement." The Ministry of Commerce will
be responsible for allocating relief supplies, while the Ministry of Civil Affairs will deliver in time the
donation of Chinese non-governmental organizations and people to the correlated organizations of the
disaster countries such as the Red Cross. A new medical treatment team which is set up by the
Ministry of Health and some other experts dispatched by relevant departments have been packed up
and ready to set out.
Source: Xinhua
Nation Donates US$60 Million More To Victims
China will donate an additional 500 million yuan (US$60 million) in aid as well dispatching more
rescue teams to tsunami-hit countries in Southern and Southeastern Asia and Africa, said Premier Wen
Jiabao on Friday. "The catastrophe not only hit the people in those countries, but also harmed human
beings as a whole," said Wen when meeting with diplomatic envoys from 10 countries surrounding the
Indian Ocean and representatives of international organizations in Beijing. On behalf of the Chinese
Government and people, Wen expressed deep concern and sympathy to the people living in these
countries as well as profound condolences for the victims who died in the disaster. Besides the 500
million yuan (US$60 million) tsunami aid, China would pay close attention to the progress of the
disaster and is ready to providing further aid, he said. Being a victim of frequent natural disasters,
China has received the humanitarian aid from friendly nations in the past, Wen said. "Chinese people
could sense the same feeling as the people in those countries after the disaster," he said. After the
occurrence of the disaster, the Chinese Government immediately sent rescue teams, set up a special
42
working group of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other departments, as well as put in place
emergency mechanisms, said the Chinese leader. Under the leadership of their respective governments
and with assistance from the international communities, the tsunami-ravaged countries would recover
from the disaster and re-build their homes, Wen said. (Cont)
Source: China Daily
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-12/31/content_405136.htm
China Sends Medical Team To Sri Lanka
China has sent a team of 14 doctors to Sri Lanka to help the country's tsunami victims. There are
already two medical teams from China in the area, say officials. These 14 doctors work at Beijing's
Municipal CDC. Authorities say they are well equipped with medicines and medical devices.
Authorities in China say more teams will be sent to disaster areas in the very near future. Last Sunday,
26th December, there was a massive earthquake off Indonesia, magnitude 9 on the Richter scale. This
earthquake created a tsunami (tidal wave) which has devastated communities from Thailand to
Somalia. Over 120,000 people have died and millions have been left homeless. The countries most
affected are India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia, Somalia, Malaysia and The Maldives.
Source: Medical News Today
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=18561&nfid=rssfeeds
Sri Lankan fishermen try to salvage fishing nets from near a smashed fishing boat in Mallaitivu in rebel controlled northern
Sri Lanka, Sunday, Jan. 2, 2005. The most pressing concern for most residents of the fishing village is to be able to get back
to work which has been made doubly difficult as nearly all of their boats were smashed by last week's tsunami. (AP
Photo/Ed Wray)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/481/ekw10501022005
Ferocious Tsunami Starts Donation Drives Across China
Bombarded with devastating TV pictures on tsunami-ravaged South and Southeast Asian countries and
a rising death toll, Zhou Jin, 78, an average Chinese in Beijing, rushed to a local donation center
Saturday and left 1,800 yuan (about 217 US dollars). "I am too old to have much expenditure. Here is
the cash I have with me. Take it and make use of it for the needy there," Zhou told civil affair officer
Zhang Ye. When asked about why she gave away all her cash, Zhou said she was not fishing for name.
"The catastrophe has made me in low spirits for so many days. I wish I could do something and here
43
comes the chance," she said. Since the donation center in the Yuetan neighborhood was set upon
Friday morning, more than 13,000 yuan (about 1,567 US dollars) have been received. Many of the
donors are the retired who happened to pass by the center while shopping and exercising. An old lady
in a gray overcoat with a shopping basket in hand said, "Why don't you advise us about the donation
drive before hand? If I didn't come by, I'd have missed the chance." Zhang Ye, who's in charge of the
civil affairs of the Yuetan neighborhood, apologized to her, saying this donation drive was indeed
started in a rush. "We didn't knock people's doors to mobilize them, not even print flyers or posters.
We wish people could come at their own will and it turns out to be pretty encouraging," she said.
Earlier in 2004, two donation drives were officially launched in the neighborhood, to help povertystricken mothers and people who get injured while rescuing others separately. To encourage people to
open up their purses, local civil affairs officials and volunteers spent at least two days to spread flyers
and mobilize before the drives were formally kicked off. "This time, we don't want to be pushy, but
people constantly come and give whatever they can afford. (Cont)
Source: Xinhua; Cheng Yunjie
FM Discuss Aid To Tsunami-Hit Countries With UN, WHO Heads
Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Saturday night discussed aid to the tsunami-hit countries
through multiple channels with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and World Health Organization
Director-General Lee Jong-Wookby phone. Li briefed the two on the aid provided by the Chinese
government to the affected countries and said China appreciates and supports the leading and
coordinating role of the United Nations in providing emergency help to the disaster-hit countries. He
said China is ready to enhance cooperation with the United Nations and WHO and help those countries
in their rescue and disease prevention efforts, including the supply of potable water to the victims. The
Chinese government will help those countries in reconstruction, Li said. Annan and Lee spoke highly
of China's vigorous role in aiding the tsunami-hit countries, saying that China's timely and substantial
assistance once again demonstrated that China is an influential and responsible nation in global and
regional affairs. They also expressed willingness to enhance cooperation with China. An earthquake
measuring 8.7 to 9 on the Richter Scale occurred west of the island of Sumatra, Indonesia last Sunday.
It triggered tsunamis in some southeast and south Asian countries, causing enormous losses in
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Thailand and Malaysia. The death toll is now
estimated at about 150,000.
Source: Xinhua
Taiwan
Taiwan Offers US$50 Million In Relief Aid To Tsunami-Hit Countries
The Republic of China government will offer US$50 million in relief to countries stricken by a
devastating earthquake and ensuing tsunamis last week, Vice Premier Yeh Chu-lan said Sunday. Yeh
made the announcement after presiding over an inter-departmental meeting to discuss how to help with
post-disaster relief work in a dozen tsunami-hit countries around the Indian Ocean, including
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India. Yeh said the aid package will include food aid, medical
supplies and community reconstruction. Noting that the scope of damage caused by the Dec. 26
earthquake beneath the Indian Ocean was much more serious than originally reported, Yeh said the
government has decided to boost its aid offer from US$5 million to US$50 million, including US$20
44
million worth of rice, US$15 million worth of medical supplies and US$15 million in community and
harbor reconstruction. Yeh also urged individual citizens to donate funds to help quake and tsunami
victims in South and Southeast Asia. A special bank account opened by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
had received NT$40 million in donation from the private sector. (Cont)
Source: CAN; Sofia Wu
http://www.cna.com.tw/eng/
Taiwan Medical Team Arrives In Aceh
Members of a medical team from Taiwan arrived Saturday in Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh Province on
the Indonesian island of Sumatra, which was worst-hit by the earthquake and tsunami of Dec. 26. The
team is expected to survey a potential site for setting up a temporary medical station in the city.
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was also in Banda Aceh to inspect the
aftermath of the disaster, expressed his gratitude for the assistance and supplies provided by Taiwan.
The team, which arrived in Indonesia Thursday, has been surveying potential sites for posting its
workers. Other members went to Nias, an island off western Sumatra, on Friday. Reports said that at
least 79,000 people on Sumatra have been killed by the tsunami triggered by the 9.0-magnitude
earthquake. Many other countries around the Indian Ocean, including Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, the
Maldives, Malaysia and Somalia were also hit by the tsunami, with the combined death toll standing at
more than 120,000 and expected to continue to rise. At least 5 million people have been left homeless.
In Taipei, World Vision Taiwan launched a fund-raising campaign Saturday in cooperation with chain
stores including 7-Eleven, Starbucks and Cosmed to help the tsunami victims. More than 4,000
donation boxes will be set up in the store outlets until Jan. 31.
Source: CAN; Charles Kang and Y.F. Low
http://english.www.gov.tw/index.jsp?action=cna&cnaid=5742
Guam
Guard May Provide Aid
More than 50 Guam Army and Air National Guard members may be activated to provide aid to the
areas devastated by the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis. Gov. Felix Camacho yesterday wrote a letter
to Adm. Thomas Fargo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, offering the assistance of several
teams of Guam Army and Air National Guard. Of the 1,170 Guam Army and Air National Guard
members, 261 are currently deployed to missions around the world, and hundreds more are slated to
leave in the coming months. By late this spring, about 50 percent of the Guam Guard force will be
deployed, said the Guam National Guard's public information officer Lt. Josephine Blas. The U.S.
military has launched a large-scale humanitarian assistance mission to the areas hit by the disaster,
which has taken tens of thousands of lives in countries all over South Asia. The governor told Fargo
that the following 53 Guard personnel will be available for action, according to the governor's
communication office:
a five-person Army Guard medical team, made up of one doctor, one nurse and three medics;
two six-person Army Guard reverse osmosis water purification teams;
one Air Guard military lawyer;
20 Air Guard civil engineering personnel;
five Air Guard Services personnel; and
10 Air Guard Security Forces personnel.
45
The Guam Guard members, if activated by Fargo, will become part of the U.S. military's largest
operation in the region since the Vietnam War. The operation currently involves at least 16 ships,
thousands of sailors and Marines, as well as about 1,000 land-based troops.
Source: By Katie Worth, Pacific Daily News
http://www.guampdn.com/news/stories/20050103/localnews/1818777.html
India
India 'Doesn't Need' Foreign Aid
INDIA has turned down foreign aid for victims of the tsunami that has killed tens of thousands of
people across Asians, because it has "adequate resources", a government official said today. India had
been flooded with generous offers of aid, the official said. "In fact, all friendly nations have offered
help, but we feel we do have the resources to handle the situation," he said. "If at a later stage we feel
we need assistance we will not hesitate to ask. "Right now we not only have adequate resources but
have gone out and mounted a huge relief effort for Sri Lanka and Maldives. We could not have done
this if we were facing a problem in Indian relief operations." The Indian Government said it had sent
warships, helicopters and aircraft to distribute food, medicines and blankets to neighboring Sri Lanka
and the Maldives, and had promised more than over $US23 million ($30m) in monetary aid. The
official noted that India had not taken up the offers of help because Sunday's disaster was not of the
same magnitude for India as an earthquake that struck the western state of Gujarat in January 2001,
killing 20,000 people. "This disaster is just not of the same scale or magnitude of the Gujarat
earthquake," he said. "In comparison to the Gujarat earthquake we have the resources to handle the
situation at this juncture." India's government and UN and local aid agencies have begun distributing
survival packs to at least 160,000 people left homeless along the mainland coast, with demand
expected to grow for food, water and shelter.
Source: Reuters
http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11806133%255E1702,00.html
Centre Sets Up Teams For Tsunami-Hit States
Centre today announced formation of a 10-member team each for three tsunami-affected states under
chairmanship of Secretary (Disaster Management) A K Rastogi who would assess the damage caused
by tsunami and the assistance required for re-construction. A decision to this effect was taken at a
meeting of National Crisis Mangement Group, chaired by Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi here this
afternoon, official sources said here. Each team would be headed by a Joint Secretary of Home
Ministry and would comprise members from Finance, Animal Husbandary, Surface Transport,
Agriculture, Women and Child Development, Education, Rural Development and Water Resources
ministries, the sources said. The teams would embark on a three-day visit to Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh and Kerala from January 4 and would assess the damage in these states besides working on the
funds required for rehabilitation, the sources said. All the three teams would be headed by Rastogi who
would submit a report to the Government about the extent of damage in the three states, they said.
Others present at the meeting included Home Secretary Dhirendra Singh, Defense Secretary Ajay
Vikram Singh and senior officials from ministries of Shipping, Transport, Rural Development, Health
and Social Welfare.
Source: The Hindu
http://www.hinduonnet.com/holnus/001200501022010.htm
46
Major Evacuation Process Over In Andamans: IAF
Naval ship and Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter continued to make sorties to the Tsunami-hit islands
in Andaman and Nicobar carrying relief materials and evacuating people as the island experienced
fresh tremor this morning (Dec 31, 2004). Major evacuation process of the tourists, civilians and
service personnel was completed, Commander-in-Chief of the Unified Command Lt Gen B S Thakur
said in Port Blair. A total of 857 Service personnel, 1610 civilians, 31 tourists, three police men and
four fishermen were brought to Port Blair mainly from the devastated Car Nicobar island in the last
two days, he said. Naval ship contacted all inhabited islands including Noncowrie and Campbell Bay
as the jetties were badly damaged. "We are taking smaller boats and local 'dongis' from the ship to
carry relief and rescue operations," he said. Smaller aircraft were pressed into operation for the
purpose. "In fact we carried the entire capacity of aircraft," he said. Thakur said that 650 bodies were
cremated in Car Nicobar but declined to comment on the number of missing persons saying that civil
administration was better equipped to give that figure.
Source: PTI
http://news.indiainfo.com/2004/12/31/3112nicobar.html
Trash and debris line the streets in downtown Aceh, Sumatra, January 1, 2005, following a massive Tsunami that struck the
area on December 26, 2004. REUTERS/Department of Defense (news - web sites)/Michael L. Bak-Handout
Para-Military Personnel Flown To Andamans
A 225-strong contingent of para-military personnel were flown to the Andamans today for conducting
relief work in the aftermath of the tsunami disaster. Indian Airlines sources said that about 40 tons of
relief, including drinking water, food stuff, tent material and medicines, were airlifted. Meanwhile,
about 350 stranded tourists were brought here from Port Blair today.
Source: PTI
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200412312132.htm
47
Protest At Slow Pace Of Relief In Andamans
As refugees from the severely affected islands are moved to Campbell Bay, in the south of Great
Nicobar, there have been reports of unrest and anger directed at the administration officials stationed in
the Bay. Authorities in Port Blair played down the agitation by the refugee islanders, and claimed that
the situation was now under control. Though they blamed "some youngsters," the protesters were
clearly angry at the slow pace of relief work. The Coast Guard, of course, maintained its sorties to drop
relief material. `Chaos' Campbell Bay, which originally had a population of about 10,000, now holds
about 14,500 people. Those who could not be evacuated to Port Blair were moved to the Bay from the
neighboring islands. The result, according to one official is "chaos". The Lieutenant Governor of
Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ram Kapse, on return from a tour of Campbell Bay, insisted that there
was no assault on any official. The Chief of the Army Staff, Gen. N.C. Vij, who toured the affected
islands today, said that people had got over the initial shock and the situation would return to normal in
four to five days. In Car Nicobar, about 120 bodies were disposed of today, but he was told that there
could be 1,000 more bodies which would have to be spotted. The Army would help restore the
communication network. Whatever needed to be done would be done, Gen. Vij said. (Cont)
Source: The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2005/01/02/stories/2005010206380100.htm
Relief Efforts Focus On Andaman And Nicobar
Continuing the relief and rehabilitation work in the tsunami-hit region, the Centre today focused on the
worst-hit Andaman and Nicobar, including the inaccessible islands south of Car Nicobar. A highpower Group of Ministers (GoM) also reviewed the ongoing relief operations in Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Pondicherry and Kerala. Plan for disaster management authority. After chairing the two-hourlong GoM meeting, the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, told reporters that the Government
planned to enact a law to set up a National Disaster Management Authority for providing immediate
assistance in the event of a natural calamity. "Such an authority will spell out what emergency relief
and rehabilitation measures should be taken at State and district level and how funds should be
released," said Mr. Patil. Special efforts were being taken to provide relief in the scattered islands of
Nicobar. An additional battalion of Central paramilitary forces and several Army columns were being
dispatched to assist in the rehabilitation work. "We have also sent several helicopters and aircraft since
ships cannot anchor because of massive damage to jetties in these islands," Mr. Patil said. Asked about
reports of a breakout of an epidemic, he said bodies were being disposed of. Chlorination of drinking
water was taken up in the affected areas, he said, adding that the situation was under control. (Cont)
Source: The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/2004/12/31/stories/2004123106651100.htm
PM Sanctions Rs. 250 Crore Relief For Tamil Nadu
After his tour of the tsunami-hit areas, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, today sanctioned Rs 250
crores to Tamil Nadu for taking up relief work. Singh spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J
Jayalalithaa, and sanctioned the relief, PMO sources said. Winding up his two-day visit to the disasterstruck areas of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the Prime Minister told reporters earlier in the day that he
would announce the relief for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry after speaking to the respective Chief
Ministers. He has already announced Rs 100 crores each for Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.
Source: The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200412312001.htm
48
India Sends Aid To Sri Lanka, RI, Maldives, Thailand
Two Indian aircraft equipped as mobile hospitals left for Sri Lanka Friday to treat victims of Sunday's
tidal waves. Sunday's earthquake off Indonesia and the tidal waves that followed wrought devastation
in the coastal belts of India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Maldives and Thailand, leaving more than
120,000 dead and millions displaced. India said Thursday that it would provide assistance worth about
US$23 million to Sri Lanka, $1 million to the Maldives, another million to Indonesia and half a million
to Thailand. Ships carrying medicine and doctors are on their way to Sri Lanka and Indonesia and
Indian aircraft and naval vessels are helping in relief and rescue operations in the Maldives. India has
conveyed to foreign governments offering assistance that local authorities in the disaster-hit areas of
India's eastern coast feel the impact at present could be handled with domestic resources. "So it is
advisable that relief should be sent where it is most urgently needed," India's external affairs ministry
spokesperson Navtej Sarna said at a press briefing Thursday. "Nevertheless, were this situation to
change and were we to feel that a particular support is needed from any international agency or country
then that would be considered at the time," Sarna said.
Source: DPA
In Tsunami's Wake, India Makes Diplomatic Advance
Within hours of the tsunami, India geared up for its biggest-ever relief operation, but not just with its
own devastated coasts in its sights. As New Delhi launched a relief effort along the eastern coast, ten
warships -- backed by helicopters and transport aircraft and loaded with relief supplies -- also headed
for Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Maldives, three neighbors badly hit in one of world's worst natural
disasters. A country campaigning for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, India refused to
portray itself as a helpless victim. "India has been trying to convey the image that it is a regional
power, and a credible power in terms of having the ability to step in when required," said Uday
Bhaskar of the Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis. "Both these objectives are met with the
current deployment." When US President George W Bush telephoned Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh, he was politely told thanks but no thanks: American help was not required. Other foreign
governments got the same message. (Cont)
Source: Reuters
No To Aid In Self-Reliance Bid
India’s decision to refuse aid from foreign countries stems from its attempt to refurbish its image not
only as a regional power but also as a key international player capable of handling the crisis within and
in its neighborhood. Several countries, including the US, offered financial and other assistance to India
to augment its relief operation in the parts of the country hit by tsunamis on December 26. But Delhi
has so far politely turned down the offers, saying it is capable of handling the situation and the
proposed aid should go to countries that need it more. Although never admitted officially, the stand
taken by the government arises from an attempt to establish the image of a self-reliant India. The
image of a nation capable of not only handling a major natural disaster on its own but also going out to
help others suits well a country that is a known aspirant for a permanent seat in the UN Security
Council. The government has earmarked nearly Rs 1,000 core to deal with the tsunami devastation,
both within the country and outside. Nearly Rs 500 core have so far been released for relief operations
within and Rs 300 core for helping neighbors Sri Lanka, Maldives, Thailand and Indonesia. Questions
have been raised both within and outside India on the judiciousness of the decision to turn down
49
foreign aid. But Indian officials said Delhi has made no deliberate attempt to put out an image that
does not match the country’s capability. “India of the 1960s is no longer the India we have today,” a
senior South Block official said. Sections in the western world still have the image of India as a
country with a begging bowl, but its capability has changed drastically in the past few decades, he
added. “We have a strong navy and government machinery, which is totally capable of handling the
situation not only in the affected areas of our country but also in other parts of South Asia and
elsewhere in the neighborhood,” the official said. (Cont)
The number of victims of the Asian tsunami needing food stands at 1.8 million and could rise further, a United Nations
(news - web sites) official said on December 2, 2005. 'We will need to provide food assistance to 1.8 million in the affected
countries,' said Jan Egeland, the U.N. official in charge of emergency relief. In this photo, trash and debris line the streets
near local homes in downtown Banda Aceh, Sumatra, on December 1, 2005, following a massive Tsunami that struck the
area on December 26, 2004. (Department of Defense (news - web sites)/Michael L. Bak via Reuters )
India 'Delivers Aid To Islands'
The Indian army says planes have dropped food and water to tsunami survivors on all the inhabited
islands in the Andaman and Nicobar chain. There was criticism that aid has been slow to reach
survivors, thousands of whom may be sheltering on high ground. Outbreaks of disease have been
reported on remote southern islands and doctors have been rushed there, officials said. More than
9,000 people are known to have died in India, 812 of them on the islands, with thousands more
missing. More than 50 people in the devastated Lakhsmi Nagar area close to Campbell Bay in the
Nicobars are now suffering from the potentially fatal diseases of malaria or diarrhoea, the islands' chief
administrator Ram Kapse said on Sunday. He said medical teams were being deployed in affected
areas, but the BBC's Subir Bhaumik in the capital, Port Blair, says Mr Kapse has so far denied
permission for international agencies to send their own staff. Our correspondent adds that aid workers
have been worried about possible outbreaks of water-borne diseases because the tsunami polluted
wells and other sources of drinking water. (Cont)
Source: BBC News
50
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4140797.stm
IAF Mounts Its Largest Peacetime Operation
The Indian Air Force (IAF) has mounted one of its largest operations in peacetime to provide succor to
victims of the tsunami in the region, with dozens of aircraft carrying over 5,000 tons of relief materials
in the past week. The IAF has rescued and airlifted over 5,000 people from tsunami-affected areas of
south India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as part of "Operation Sea Wave", its codename for
the relief operation, a spokesman said on Sunday. Since the tidal waves triggered by an undersea
earthquake devastated several countries in South Asia on December 26, the IAF has airlifted over
5,000 tons of food, water, blankets, tents, clothing, generators and medicines. Seven Il-76 heavy
transport aircraft, eight Mi-8 helicopters, eight Mi-17 helicopters, 15 AN-32 transport aircraft and three
Avros have been operating in the tsunami-hit areas. The air force has moved 16,000 liters of aviation
fuel to Andaman and Nicobar Islands so that the relief operations can be carried out unhindered. The
IAF's Mi-17 helicopters and Il-76 jets have also been pressed into operation for rescue and relief work
in Sri Lanka and Maldives. Apart from this, the IAF is assisting in carrying out surveys of damage
caused by the tsunami in all the affected areas. An IAF team was airlifted to Car Nicobar airbase for its
reconstruction Dec 27. The strategic airbase was devastated by gigantic waves that caused extensive
damage to its runway and air traffic control facility. The IAF is also providing assistance in rebuilding
roads and restoring electricity and communications by airlifting heavy equipment and machinery to the
affected areas. Senior IAF officials are also visiting the affected areas to oversee relief operations. Air
Marshal SK Malik, the IAF's vice chief, visited south India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on
Sunday. (Cont)
Source: Indo-Asian News Service
Manmohan Meets Kerala Victims; Assures A Sea Wall
Sharing the grief of the Tsunami-hit villagers, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited the taluk
hospital at Karunagapally in Kollam district, the worst-hit area of the killer wave attack in the State.
After listening the grievances of the coastline people, Prime Minister assured that steps would be taken
to build sea wall in the vulnerable coast. He also assured people that the Defense Ministry had been
instructed to build a bridge at Azheekkal linking the narrow strip of land between sea and backwaters
with the mainland. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy is accompanying the Prime Minister. The Prime
Minister also distributed the relief assistance announced by the State Government to some of those
assembled. The State Government had announced Rs one lakh to the next of kin of the adult victims
and Rs 50,000 for the families that had lost their children in the calamity. Chief Minister Oommen
Chandy said the additional assistance of Rs one lakh to be given to the families of the victims would
also be provided without delay. The tragedy-hit people who met the Prime Minister in Karunagapally
were from Alappad and Azheekkal areas, which accounted for the highest toll of 140.
Source: PTI
http://news.indiainfo.com/2004/12/31/3112pmvisit.html
Delhi Uneasy Over US Visit
The official word is not out yet but the Indian establishment seems a little uneasy about the likely visit
of a high-level team from Washington to the country and its neighborhood to assess the tsunami
aftermath and the relief needed. The team — led by secretary of state Colin Powell and including
Florida governor Jeb Bush, brother of President George W. Bush — is scheduled to leave on January 2
51
for a tour of the worst affected countries. It is not yet clear whether the team will also visit India and
Sri Lanka but if it does, it will take some of the shine off India’s relief operations not only within the
country but also in South Asia, where it has been playing the lead role so far. India has been invited to
a special Asean summit in Jakarta on January 6 to discuss relief operations and better cooperation
among key international players and world bodies. Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda rang
up his Indian counterpart K. Natwar Singh today. “The invitation has been received and it is under
active consideration,” said foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna. A decision is yet to be taken
because a summit will require the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Altogether 23
countries, including Asean’s 10 member nations, are expected to attend. The UN is scheduled to issue
an appeal on January 6 for aid from member countries. (Cont)
Source: The Telegraph; PRANAY SHARMA
Disaster Brings Indian, US Navies Together In Indian Ocean For First Time
Indian and American navies will cooperate in the Indian Ocean for the first time when they join forces
to coordinate relief for the victims of tidal waves, a report said. The two countries, estranged during the
Cold War but whose ties have warmed in recent years, will join Australia and Japan in a "core group"
being created by Washington to coordinate recovery efforts. US Secretary of State Colin Powell told
AFP on Thursday that the United Nations had chief responsibility for coordinating relief in the Asian
tsunami disaster, but the core group would be "complementary" to the world body's efforts. He said the
United States sought to combine its military capability in the region with Japan's financial resources
and the assets of India and Australia to mount a rapid action to be expanded as other countries and
groups joined in. The Indian Express newspaper Friday noted that during the Cold War, the Indian
navy was effectively ranged against the armada of the United States, Japan and Australia. In the
coming weeks the South Asian region's strongest naval force would be working with the US Navy, the
world's most powerful, for the first time in the Indian Ocean, it said. During Operation Enduring
Freedom to oust the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, Indian ships had assisted the United States in
providing security in the Malacca Straits, but that small operation had taken months to negotiate. By
contrast, the tsunami relief coalition has taken just days to tie up through a flurry of phone calls
between Indian and US officials, including between President George W. Bush and Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh. The United States has sent military transporters to the worst-hit countries in the
Indian Ocean while an aircraft carrier, helicopter carrier and military forces that could help in relief
work are also on the way from bases in Asia. (Cont)
Source: AFP via Channel News Asia
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/125167/1/.html
Indonesia
Indonesia Plans Tsunami Summit; Disaster Scope Widens
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Chinese Premier
Wen Jiabao are among the world leaders who will attend an international summit in Jakarta this week
to discuss distribution of more than $2 billion in pledged aid to tsunami victims. Powell and Florida
Governor Jeb Bush, brother of President George W. Bush, left the U.S. today to visit devastated areas
in southern Asia, where 150,000 people perished after a magnitude-9 earthquake triggered tsunamis
seven days ago. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is preparing for the Jan. 6
international conference as the first rescuers to reach survivors in remote areas of his country reported
52
destruction defying description. ``The scale of the damage is beyond words,'' said Andi Hanindito, an
Indonesian government official who's helping coordinate delivery of aid in Aceh province, where
about 80,000 people died in coastal regions. Japan is the biggest donor of the 44 nations that have
promised aid, pledging $500 million this weekend. The U.S. has promised $350 million, the U.K. $96
million and Sweden $75 million. China increased its contribution 23-fold to $60 million two days ago,
and Taiwan upped its pledge 10-fold to $50 million today. The list of donations last night took up 16
pages single- spaced, United Nations emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland said. (Cont)
Source: Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aINnK7hr2Glc&refer=asia
An Indian soldier walks along the battered shore of Car Nicobar island January 2, 2005, where an Air Force base was
reduced to rubble with more than 100 officers, airmen and their families killed by last week's tsunami. India raised the
number of people killed or feared killed in the tsunami to 14,488 on Sunday, up by more than 1,700 since the previous
evening's estimate. REUTERS/Altaf Hussain
Indonesia To Host Tsunami Summit Next Week
Indonesia said on Friday it would host an international tsunami summit on Jan. 6, aimed at garnering
more emergency aid for the disaster that hit the Indian Ocean region and to discuss future
reconstruction needs. Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said heads of state or their special
representatives from the tsunami-affected countries, as well as major aid donors and international
organizations, would be invited. "The meeting is aimed at consolidating joint commitment for
emergency assistance and also for future rehabilitation and reconstruction of the affected countries," he
said. Sunday's tsunami was triggered by an earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra island and swept across
the Indian Ocean, killing more than 125,000 people in 13 countries. Hassan said it was hoped the 10
members of the Association of South East Asian Nations, as well as China, Japan, South Korea, India,
Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, would attend. Also invited would be
representatives from the United Nations, the World Bank, the World Health Organization, Asian
Development Bank and European Union.
Source: Reuters
53
Japan
Koizumi To Attend Disaster Relief Summit In Jakarta Next Week
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi plans to join a meeting of world leaders next Thursday in
Jakarta to discuss relief operations in the wake of the massive earthquake off Indonesia and subsequent
tsunamis that devastated coastal areas in Southeast and South Asia, officials close to the premier said
Saturday. Koizumi is scheduled to leave Japan for Indonesia on Wednesday and return home Thursday
night, the officials said. Koizumi is expected to pledge Japan's help in preventing the spread of
infectious diseases in the affected areas in light of a warning issued by the World Health Organization
that quake ad tsunami sufferers are under threat from diarrhea, malaria and other infectious diseases,
according to the officials. At the summit, world leaders will discuss pressing issues such as how to
finance rehabilitation and ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, the officials said. The
leaders are also expected to discuss a plan to establish early warning systems for tsunamis in the Indian
Ocean, they said. On Friday, Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said his country will host
the summit to discuss relief and reconstruction measures for the devastated areas from the 9.0
magnitude quake and subsequent tsunamis that killed more than 120,000 people. Still, thousands
remain missing after the powerful quake, which originated off Indonesia's Sumatra Island last Sunday,
hurling giant waves across the Indian Ocean. The Indonesian foreign minister said the summit will be
hosted based on "humanitarian solidarity among the international community." (Cont)
Source: Kyodo
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050101/kyodo/d87b348g0.html
Japan Sends Forensic Experts To Thailand
The Foreign Ministry on Friday sent two forensic experts to Thailand to identify the Japanese victims
of Sunday's quake-triggered tsunamis as the decomposition of bodies is making the identification
process harder. Masatsugu Hashimoto, an assistant professor at Tokyo Dental College, and Hideki
Saka, a lecturer at the college, left for Thailand from Narita airport near Tokyo.
Source: Kyodo
2 Japanese Aid Helicopters Arrive On Phuket
Two Japanese helicopters arrived Sunday on the Thai resort island of Phuket to take part in
international aid activities to help the victims of last Sunday's tsunami disaster. The helicopters, which
belong to the Tokyo and Osaka fire departments, were transported from Narita airport aboard a
Russian plane for the aid mission, which will involve 30 Japanese pilots and mechanics who arrived
earlier.
Source: Kyodo
Japan Pledges $500 Mil In Tsunami Aid As Death Toll Nears 150,000
Japan on Saturday pledged up to $500 million in grants to tsunami-affected countries and international
organizations. In making the pledge, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi also said he will attend an
international aid conference in Jakarta next week on the aftermath of the massive tsunamis that killed
close to 150,000 people.
Source: Japan Update
54
Japan Backs Bush's Tsunami Aid Initiative
Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura on Thursday supported US President George W.
Bush's initiative involving Japan, Australia and India aimed at helping victims of the massive
earthquake and tsunamis in Asia. Bush said Wednesday the United States will create a "core group"
with Japan, Australia and India to help coordinate disaster relief. Machimura told reporters he
expected the four countries to start the envisaged joint military operation to gather information about
damage from the disaster and what the affected people need. Japan has deployed a Maritime SelfDefense Force convoy with three vessels and a helicopter to waters off the Thai resort island of Phuket
to help search for people who went missing in the tsunamis. Machimura said it is important for
countries concerned to assess the victims' needs accurately and coordinate assistance. He voiced hope
that the United Nations will help the nations coordinate their relief aid activities.
Source: Xinhua
Korea
Korean Firms Respond To Tsunami Disaster
Korean corporations are joining the relief efforts in tsunami-hit areas of Asia with cash and goods,
according to company sources. Among the larger donors is Hyundai Motor Co. and affiliate Kia
Motors Corp., which has pledged $1.5 million in aid. Officials said about 5,000 employees at Hyundai
units in India and other Asian countries will join in the ground relief effort. The overseas units also
plan to give $1.5 million in cash and goods to disaster victims. Separately, Hyundai and Kia dealers in
four countries - Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Thailand - plan to offer free repair services and
contribute $800,000 in cash and relief goods to disaster victims. Hyundai Motor is the only Korean
company reported so far to have been affected by the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Southeast Asia
on Sunday and the ensuing tidal waves. In India, 1,173 Hyundai Motor cars bound for Mexico and
Algeria were destroyed by the tidal wave at Chennai Port. They were valued at $5.7 million but were
fully insured. Samsung Electronics Co. has pledged $1 million in aid to five countries hit by the
disaster, with about 10,000 overseas staff, including executives, to be involved in ground relief work.
For Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia where Samsung has production plants, the company is
considering sending a 10-member medical team, officials said. LG Electronics Inc. has decided to give
a total of $600,000 to tsunami-hit countries, $200,000 each from the company's operations in India,
Indonesia and Thailand. (Cont)
Source: Korea herald; Kim Min-hee
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2005/01/03/200501030026.asp
Businesses, Religious Groups Make Relief Efforts
The nation's five leading business organizations, including the Korea International Trade Association
(KITA) and the Federation of Korean Industries, said Sunday they will launch a joint campaign from
Monday at COEX in southern Seoul to raise funds to help South Asians suffering from the recent
ocean earthquake. Member firms of the five groups and citizens visiting COEX will join the
campaign, the KITA said. The organizations also set up a fundraising box at COEX and plan to open a
Web site for online donations for the same goal. The funds raised are scheduled to be delivered to
South Asian embassies in Seoul, including those of India, Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, on Jan.
17. AIG General Insurance, the world's largest non-life insurer, will provide benefits to its travel
55
customers who were victims of the devastating tsunami. ``We have decided to do all we can to support
our Korean policyholders and beneficiaries who have suffered significant losses from this sudden
natural calamity,'' an AIG spokesperson said. (cont)
Source: Korea Times; Joon Soh, Choi Kyong-ae
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200501/kt2005010217252310230.htm
Prime Minister To Attend Aid Summit In Jakarta
S. Korea to Boost Financial Aid. Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan will join Asian and world leaders at a
summit in Indonesia Thursday to plan the rebuilding of countries devastated by the Indian Ocean
tsunami, officials said over the weekend, as the total death toll approached 150,000 and South Korea
confirmed its 10th fatality. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Lee will depart Wednesday
for Jakarta to attend the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) donors' conference, which
has been hastily arranged to raise money for victims of the massive tidal wave that swept south Asian
nations on Dec. 26. Lee plans to visit Sri Lanka, the second-worst hit country after Indonesia, before
returning to Seoul Saturday. South Korea will also boost its financial aid for affected countries,
Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon said. ``This is not a regional incident but a global disaster requiring a
great deal of aid,'' he told reporters. ``We are considering increasing financial aid to the level of tens of
millions of dollars.'' The government has so far promised $5 million in relief funds. (Cont)
Source: Korea Times; Reuben Staines, Park Song-wu
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200501/kt2005010215305911950.htm
56
A Thai man walks among the debris left behind by a tsunami in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, Thailand, January 2, 2005.
Heavy rains and flash floods disrupted aid to Asia's tsunami-hit villages on Sunday as the U.N. refugee agency started a
400-tonne airlift as part of a $2 billion relief operation to save millions struggling to survive. (Kin Cheung/Reuters)
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/photos_wl/mdf810181
Korean Volunteers Get To Work
As the death toll from the tsunami in South Asia soars past 120,000, South Korean medics and aid
workers have begun carrying out relief efforts. The Korean nongovernmental organization Good
Neighbors last Thursday sent its first relief team of five people to Galle, about 120 kilometers (75
miles) south of Colombo in Sri Lanka. More than 4,000 Galle residents are believed to have been
killed in the deadly tsunami that hit the coastal areas on Dec. 26. Good Neighbors has also donated
$10,000 worth of medical and food supplies to the victims of the disaster. The civic group Good
People sent 16 medics and relief workers to Matara, Sri Lanka, with the goal of vaccinating 8,000
people. Another civic group, Korea Food for the Hungry International, arrived in Banda Aceh,
Indonesia, on Thursday to help establish a refugee camp; the group plans to stay in the region for more
than a month. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced yesterday that more aid would be sent to the
damaged areas, in addition to the $5 million that the government has already pledged. The amount of
additional funds will be decided Tuesday. This Thursday, Prime Minister Lee Hai-chan will attend a
special summit meeting of ASEAN leaders in Jakarta to discuss the devastation. (Cont)
Source: Jonng Ang Ilbo; Chun In-sung
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200501/02/200501022210427409900090409041.html
KPHA Issues Advice To Contain Fallout Of Tropical Diseases
With concern mounting over the spread of epidemics in areas of Southeast Asia hit by a magnitude-9
earthquake and rolling tsunami on Boxing Day, authorities are devising disease prevention measures
for vacationers and business travelers heading to the tropical regions. With nearly half of the travelers
in tropical regions such as Southeast Asia and Africa encountering health problems on their trip (40
percent experience diarrhea), the Korean Public Health Association (KPHA) introduced
countermeasures Sunday to help travelers minimize their chances of contracting endemic diseases.
(Cont)
Source: Chosun Ilbo
Korea Mulls Donating US$50 Million In Disaster Relief
The government announced Sunday that it is considering donating over US$50 million (W52.1
billion), ten times the original proposal, to help relief efforts in the wake of the earthquake that
occurred under Indonesian Sumatra and caused 10-meter-high tidal waves across the Indian Ocean.
Initially, the government decided to provide $5 million in relief funds through a meeting with the
ruling party late December. As Japan decided to increase its donations to $500 million, however,
Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon suggested to Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan that the country revise its
donations dramatically upward. The foreign minister said in a meeting with reporters that the
international community believes Korea should make donations in line with its status as the 11th
largest global economy. The country's anticipated relief funds of $50 million would be Korea's largest
ever contribution and would be spread out over three to four years. Meanwhile, the government will
send Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan to a special summit meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) in Jakarta on Jan. 6 to discuss plans to aid countries devastated by the tsunami.
57
Source: Chosun Ilbo; Lee Ha-won
Malaysia
RM760,000 Collected By Malacca Gov't For Tsunami Victims
CLOSE RM760,000 has been collected by the Malacca State Government here in the past four days in
a fund-raising effort to help victims of the Dec 26 tsunami disaster. The state’s corporate sector, nongovernmental organizations, government statutory bodies, and individuals contributed to the amount.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said the money collected was to be divided between the
victims of the tsunami disaster in Malaysia and abroad.
Source: New Strait Times, By Tan Choe Choe
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Sunday/NewsBreak/20050102181231/Article/indexb_htm
l
New Zealand
NZ Medics Face Aceh War Zone
The New Zealand relief effort could be flying into trouble in the stricken Aceh province on Sumatra
island as fighting continues in a decades-old war of independence. A 30-strong New Zealand Defense
Force medical team leaves for Indonesia today to help deal with the aftermath of last week's
devastating tsunami. New Zealand already has police and defense personnel in the area helping with
victim identification and a C-130 Hercules delivering relief supplies. However, they could be flying
into a potential war zone with reports that the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) had launched raids on
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebel strongholds in parts of East and West Aceh. The raids come
despite calls by the newly-elected government for soldiers to put down their weapons and concentrate
on aid. (Cont)
Pakistan
Pakistan Sends Aid To Sri Lanka, Indonesia
Pakistan has sent its military personnel to aid relief operations for tsunami victims in Indonesia and Sri
Lanka, Online news agency reports. The Inter-Services Public Relations said a team comprising
Pakistan Army doctors, paramedics and engineers left Sunday for Indonesia from Chaklala airbase in a
C-130 transport aircraft. "The task force assigned for Indonesia comprises 165 personnel, including
engineers, and 57 army doctors and paramedical staff," it said. The heavy equipment to be used by the
task force would be transported by sea by Pakistan Navy ships. The deployment of the task force in
Indonesia will be completed by the end of next week.
Source: Indo-Asian News Service
http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=54039
Russia
58
Russia Continues Sending Relief Aid To Southeast Asia
Russia will expand humanitarian aid and relief operations in disaster-stricken Southeast Asian
countries. The Emergency Situations Ministry on January 4 will send two planes carrying tents,
blankets, water purification facilities and diesel generators to Sumatra, which suffered the worst from a
quake and a tsunami wave, a ministry spokesman told Interfax on Sunday. The ministry is also
planning to make its planes available for airlifting heavy equipment to the disaster area to clear away
the rubble, as part of an international relief effort. Cross-country vehicles and lifting equipment are to
be airlifted from Germany to the tsunami-stricken regions in Southeast Asia, the spokesman said. He
said three groups of Russian rescuers and doctors are working in Sri Lanka. Two groups are
conducting a search operation near the village of Wadduva in the south of the island at the local
authorities' request. The third group is working in refugee camps in Kalutara jointly with local services
and representatives of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Source: Interfax
http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=10737371
Aviation Anti-submarine Warfare Operator 2nd Class Timothy Sullivan, assigned to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron
Two (HS-2) 'Golden Falcons,' drops food and milk to waiting refugees displaced by the December 26, 2004 tsunami,
January 1, 2005 in Sumatra. The helicopter was unable to land because of the extensive flooding that still exists in the
region. HS-2, embarked aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) is transporting supplies, bringing in disaster relief teams
and supporting humanitarian airlifts to tsunami-stricken coastal regions. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is
currently operating in the Indian Ocean off the waters of Indonesia and Thailand. Picture taken January 1, 2005.
REUTERS/U.S. Photo by Reuters (Handout)
Russia Sends More Humanitarian Aid To Sri Lanka
A Russian cargo plane left here Thursday carrying relief material for Sri Lanka's tsunami-affected
people, reports Xinhua. The Il-76 plane is loaded with over 20 tons of airlifts, including 60 large tents,
7,000 bed linen packs and two water purification machines, it quoted Itar-Tass news agency as saying.
Russia has sent over 25 tons of humanitarian goods to Sri Lanka, where Sunday's tsunamis killed more
than 22,800 people. Russian rescuers are helping in the search for survivors and distribution of relief.
Another Il-62 passenger plane, carrying 3,560 liters of drinking water as well as medical and rescue
59
teams, took off for Thailand early Thursday from the Volga and Urals regions. It plans to carry about
150 Russian tourists back home on its return trip, Interfax news agency reported.
Source: Newkerala
http://news.newkerala.com/world-news/?action=fullnews&id=52448
Beslan Residents Contribute To South Asia Tsunami Relief
Beslan residents are sending aid to the tsunami victims in Southern Asia, the Interfax-South news
agency reported Friday. "Our council has decided to transfer 1 million rubles ($35,700) to those who
suffered from the disaster in South East Asia. As soon as we know the bank account number, we will
transfer this money," Mairbek Tuayev, the head of the Beslan public council, told Interfax-South.
"Beslan residents will never forget how the whole world responded to our tragedy. Therefore we will
always respond to tragedies of people suffering from both disasters and terrorist attacks worldwide,"
Tuayev said. Chechen secessionist terrorists massacred 344 people including 190 children in a school
in Beslan in the northern Caucasus in early September.
Source: World Peace Herald
http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20041231-043450-1170r
Singapore
Singapore Opens Up Air, Naval Bases For Supplies To Indonesia
Singapore is opening up its air and naval bases to countries seeking to send relief supplies into
tsunami-wracked Indonesia, Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean said on Friday. Airport facilities at
Banda Aceh and Medan, nearest the devastated areas, are "currently overstretched," he told a new
briefing. The city-state will tie up closely with representatives of foreign countries that want to use the
facilities to coordinate the shipment of relief supplies, Teo said. The defense chief sent off Singapore's
largest humanitarian relief mission in its history, including a landing ship tank with nearly 500
personnel to help with relief supplies in West Sumatra. The vessel also carried stocks of emergency
and medical equipment. A group of doctors and nurses was also on board to provide primary
healthcare service to affected Indonesians in the disaster areas.
Source: DPA
Singapore Helicopters Flying Relief Supplies To Indonesia's Coastal Town Of Melauboh
Singapore's helicopters have been flying relief supplies into Melauboh, Indonesia's worst-hit coastal
town in Aceh Province. While relief supplies have been arriving in Bandar Aceh and Medan, it has
been difficult getting such supplies to remote disaster areas like Melauboh. The tsunami destroyed the
entire coastal town of Melauboh, and took away one third of its population. Access to this town is
primarily by coastal roads, but they have been completely wiped out, posing difficulties for relief
workers to gain access to the town by road. It isn't any easier by air as the town's single military
airfield, has been destroyed as well. And so, very little aid has reached the survivors in the town. As
relief pours into Aceh from all over the world, the small domestic airport there is straining to cope with
the increase in number of planes landing, causing a delay in the successful distribution of aids to the
disaster zones." Besides the Australian Defense Force, Singapore has also been flying in relief
supplies. (Cont)
Source: By Channel NewsAsia's Johnson Choo
60
Singapore Offers To Be UN Regional Disaster Coordination Hub
Singapore has offered to be the United Nations' regional tsunami disaster coordination centre,
extending its offer of not just military bases and facilities but also office space, too . This move is
aimed at easing the congestion of relief supplies heading to tsunami-affected countries. Also, the police
are calling for families with missing loved ones to come forward with their DNA samples. Nearly 800
Singapore personnel are currently doing their part in tsunami-hit areas like Phuket and Aceh, where the
LST RSS Endurance landed earlier on Sunday to begin its operations of clearing roads and setting up a
field hospital there. This makes it the biggest humanitarian relief effort by Singapore so far. And
Singapore wants to do more -- it is already in talks with the United Nations for the island to be the
organization's regional disaster coordination centre. Said Andrew Tan of the Foreign Affairs Ministry,
"We see this as an imperative because of the reports we've been receiving. Aid is building up at ports
and airports; the system is becoming overloaded. We are concerned if we don't address this situation
quickly, if we don't come in pre-emptively to offer our facilities and bases for the UN relief agencies to
do their work, we may have to bear with another crisis of sorts." (Cont)
Source: By Farah Abdul Rahim, Channel NewsAsia
Singapore Offers Use Of Hospitals For Tsunami Injured
Singapore offered the use of its hospitals and medical facilities on Sunday to those injured in the
tsunami disaster and expressed willingness to beef up medical facilities in the Indonesian island of
Batam. Some of the wounded evacuated from the hard-hit Thai resort of Phuket and from Banda Aceh
in Indonesia are already being treated in public and private hospitals in the city-state. Health Minister
Khaw Boon Wan said late Saturday he had received a report from the hospital in Batam saying that
several Indonesian military aircraft had been ferrying medical supplies from the facility to Banda Aceh
but returning empty. Banda Aceh is one of the areas most severely hit by the Dec. 26 tsunamis and is
described as a city of corpses where decomposing bodies still litter the streets. A medical team from
Singapore has been there since Wednesday with the goal of treating 100 patients daily. (Cont)
Singapore Raises Humanitarian Aid To SD5 Million
Singapore has increased its humanitarian aid to SD5 million for tsunami affected countries in South
and Southeast Asia, after it previously announced SD2 million aid relief for the region. Singapore
Foreign Affairs Ministry in its press release obtained here, Saturday said, the additional relief was
provided after considering the huge damage caused by last week`s earthquake and tidal waves. The
additional aid, it said, is expected to help recovery process in the respective countries, which might be
done within the next one or two months. Singapore`s government has delivered SD500,000 of aid
through the Singapore Red Cross Society (SRCS) as part of the additional relief assistance. In addition
to the relief aid, Singapore has also provided medical equipments and other emergency aid such as
food and clothes.
Source: Antara
61
Singapore's Search And Rescue Teams Depend On Satellite Images Of Tsunami-Hit Areas
The earthquake and tsunamis have changed or flattened several landscapes in the areas hit, rendering
some maps inaccurate. The search and rescue teams from Singapore sent to the affected areas will be
using satellite pictures to assist in relief work. In a satellite picture taken of Sumatra, Indonesia before
the earthquake, its northwestern coastline of Aceh was clear and distinct. But the tsunamis have
overwhelmed about a kilometer of mangrove swamp and turned it into sea. In the southern part of
Aceh in Lho Knga, a lake which was originally five times smaller than the size of Sentosa, is now
three times bigger than the island. But experts say the water level will subside after a month as it is a
low lying area. Images of Khao Lak, Thailand, show that its coastline is still clear, but zoom in and one
can see that resorts and houses have been destroyed. (Cont)
Source: Channel NewsAsia
A C-17 cargo jet. Having rustled up more than 100 million pounds (141 million euros, 192 million dollars) in funds, Britain
said that it was ready to lend some extra military muscle to the tsunami relief effort in Asia.(AFP/File /Rick Loomis )
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/050102/photos_wl_uk_afp/050102192016_ub2sdr0c_photo0
United States
U.S. Announces $350 Million In Tsunami Aid
The United States is pledging $350 million to help tsunami victims, a tenfold increase over its first
wave of aid, President Bush announced Friday. The U.S. aid contribution could rise even beyond that,
if needed, Secretary of State Colin Powell said later in the day. That sum will provide a substantial
boost to the overall international aid effort to areas stricken by Sunday's tsunami. As of Thursday,
nations had donated about $500 million toward the world's largest-ever relief effort, including $250
million from the World Bank, but U.N. chief Kofi Annan said even more was needed. The increase in
U.S. aid will likely silence criticism of Washington's initial offer, seen by many as meager in light of
the enormity of the disaster and the wealth of the United States. “Initial findings of American
assessment teams on the ground indicate that the need for financial and other assistance will steadily
increase in the days and weeks ahead,” Bush said Friday in a statement released in Crawford, Texas,
where he is staying at his ranch. “Our contributions will continue to be revised as the full effects of this
terrible tragedy become clearer,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this
62
epic disaster. ”The White House announced Thursday that it would be sending a delegation led by
Powell to Indian Ocean coastal areas ravaged by earthquake and tsunami to assess what more the
United States needs to do. The president’s brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, will travel with him. As the
scale of the disaster became clear, other countries, including Spain and China also sharply increased
their offers of aid, to $68 million and $63 million, respectively.
Source: MSNBC, 2 Jan 2005
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6767190/
Powell, President Bush's Brother To Visit Tsunami-Hit Countries
US President George W Bush announced Thursday that he is sending his secretary of state and brother
to the region devastated by the weekend tsunamis. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida
Governor Jeb Bush, who led the emergency response when four hurricanes hit his state in August and
September, will lead a US delegation to assess the damage, Bush said in a statement from Crawford,
Texas, where he is vacationing at his private ranch. The delegation, which was scheduled to leave
Sunday, will "meet with regional leaders and international organizations to assess what additional aid
can be provided by the United States", said the statement as read by spokesman Trent Duffy, who said
the delegation's stops and the length of its trip were still being planned. In addition Thursday, the
United States threw its support behind a European donors conference for tsunami victims. "The
Europeans have talked about organizing a donors conference in early January," State Department
spokesman Richard Boucher said in Washington. "The United States would certainly welcome that and
look forward to participating at a senior level." Boucher added that the next meeting of the Paris Club
of 19 lender countries on January 12 will discuss the debts of the nations affected by Sunday's
magnitude9 earthquake and tidal waves in the Indian Ocean. On other relief fronts, the United Nations
was preparing a January 6 "flash appeal" for relief money to governments around the world and also
plans a pledging conference on January 11. The global response from governments and international
agencies has already reached about 500 million dollars, including 250 million dollars pledged
Thursday by the World Bank, the UN's development lending agency. "The president's very satisfied
with the international coalition that's coming together to confront this terrible tragedy," Duffy said. "As
Secretary Powell said this morning, this is just the beginning. This is going to be a sustained,
multimillion(dollar), multinational effort for years to come."
Source: DPA
http://www.komchadluek.net/breaking/read.php?lang=en&newsid=33719
Powell To Visit Thailand, Indonesia
Secretary of State Colin Powell will visit Thailand and Indonesia on a tour of damage and relief efforts
after the Asian tsunami that killed more than 125,000 people, a senior US official said. The State
Department official, who asked not to be named, said details were still being worked out on Powell's
trip, announced Friday by President George W. Bush. Thailand and Indonesia were confirmed stops on
the tour by the chief US diplomat, who will be accompanied by the president's brother, Florida
Governor Jeb Bush. But there was no word on whether they would visit Sri Lanka, the hardest hit
nation after Indonesia. US officials also said no decision had been made whether Powell would stay for
an ASEAN donors' conference, scheduled to be held in Jakarta on Thursday. Powell's trip will be part
of an effort to assess needs and raise the profile of the United States in relief operations. Washington
has committed 350 million dollars to the recovery effort.
Source: AFP
63
Bush Boosts Aid To $350 M
US President George Bush on Friday announced that he would increase emergency aid to nations hit
by the tsunami to $350 million from $35 million. He added that the US would probably add more
resources as the scope of the "epic disaster" became clearer. At the UN, Jan Egeland, the emergency
aid coordinator, said the new American move had increased the overall amount donated by 40 nations
to about $1.2 billion, with new pledges continuing to come in hourly. "I've never, ever seen such an
outpouring of international assistance in any international disaster," he said. Bush's ten-fold increase is
the second time this week that the US has committed more money to the effort, coming as it does after
criticism that the President, who had spoken publicly about the disaster once, had reacted too slowly.
Source: The Times Of India
Logistics Hindering Efforts To Account For U.S. Personnel In Stricken Areas
U.S. military officials still are working for a full accounting of their personnel in the wake of Sunday’s
deadly earthquake and tsunami that pounded popular tourist destinations across the region. U.S. Forces
Korea officials said Wednesday they were continuing efforts to account for South Korea-based
members who were in tsunami-affected areas. They did not provide the number of personnel or
information on their current circumstances. On Tuesday, USFK spokeswoman Air Force Lt. Col.
Deborah Bertrand said the process is going slowly because “infrastructure damage has made
communications difficult.” On Wednesday, a Marine Corps spokeswoman on Okinawa would not state
how many personnel were vacationing in the affected areas. “That’s a force-protection issue,” said
Staff. Sgt. Suki Forbes. Forbes said personnel on vacation “have contact numbers with their individual
units that they are expected to use in such instances. We have not been made aware of anyone
missing.” And Jeff Martin, chief of staff for Department of Defense Dependents Schools-Pacific, said
14 teachers believed to have been vacationing in Thailand still were unaccounted for as of Wednesday.
He said they “are believed to be on their way back, so that’s why we haven’t been able to contact
them.”
U.S. Choppers Find Devastation, Desperation On Indonesian Coast
Chas Dearie threw up his hands in a gesture of hopelessness. He had just flipped a few bottles of
drinking water from a US Navy helicopter to haggard villagers plodding along a tattered ribbon of road
flanked by total devastation. They raised their hands in thanks, but the water, biscuits and other aid
rushed to tsunami-shattered communities along the Indonesian coast Sunday were still just droplets in
an ocean of need. "There is nothing left to speak of," said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Vorce, of San Diego,
California, among more than 30 helicopter pilots flying from the USS Abraham Lincoln to the northern
tip of Sumatra, where last Sunday's tsunami took its greatest toll. The giant aircraft carrier and four
other US Navy vessels, crewed by more than 6,500 sailors and Marines, Saturday moved into position
off Indonesia to begin one of the largest US military operations in Asia since the Vietnam War. From a
low-flying helicopter, the scene for some 110 kilometers (70 miles) down the shoreline from the city of
Banda Aceh was that of a veritable skeleton coast. Bodies were still floating at sea a week after the
tragedy, which killed more than 80,000 in Indonesia and an estimated 150,000 throughout southern
Asia and Africa. One after another, communities well-rooted for generations had been obliterated in
64
moments. Bleached concrete pads was all left of most substantial structures. Nothing was visible of
flimsier village houses except for scattered corrugated iron roofs crumpled up like paper. (Cont)
Source: AP
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050102/ap/d87c1i2g0.html
U.S. Disaster Relief Speeds Aid To Indonesia As Asian Tsunami Toll Passes 123,000
An outpouring of global aid began trickling into Indonesia's stricken villages Sunday, as bulldozers
cleared debris-cluttered roads and American helicopters shuttled supplies to desperate survivors of the
Asian tsunami disaster which killed an estimated 150,000 people. Officials across the Indian Ocean
region said bottlenecks that have left boxes of supplies in warehouses with insufficient transport were
easing. Aid workers in Indonesia, the nation hardest hit, said critical supplies were finally reaching
inland villages that needed them most. A big boost for aid distribution in Indonesia came with the
arrival Saturday of the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln _ kicking off one of the biggest
U.S. military disaster relief missions in history. "The need is desperate. There is nothing left to speak
of," said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Vorce as the U.S. relief operation went into its second day with helicopters
shuttling between the provincial capital of Banda Aceh and devastated coastal villages on Sumatra.
Americans delivered water, biscuits and other aid to tsunami-shattered communities along Sumatra's
coast _ but the aid, while welcome, was a mere drop in an ocean of need. In the town of Kuede
Teunom, 8,000 of its 18,000 people died. From a low-flying helicopter, the town gave the appearance
of skeleton remains. As the confirmed overall death toll across Asian and African nations passed
123,000 and was predicted by U.N. experts to reach 150,000, the world continued to shower
unprecedented compassion on those suffering. (Cont)
Source: AP
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050102/ap/d87bvfpg1.html
U.S. Speeds Relief To Indonesia
One of the largest U.S. military operations in history helped speed the pace of aid to desperate victims
of Asia's tsunami disaster Sunday, delivering critical supplies to haggard survivors in severe need of
food and water. Flying in and out of flattened villages, American helicopters carried water, biscuits and
other bare necessities to ravaged Indonesian communities, some of which had been impossible to reach
in the week since an earthquake and tsunami ravaged coastlines in Asia and Africa. Around the
devastated Indian Ocean rim, an outpouring of global aid began to reach survivors. With the overall
death toll forecast to hit 150,000, the world continued to shower unprecedented compassion on the
suffering. The United Nations said governments and global organizations have pledged about $2
billion in tsunami relief, a quarter of it from Japan _ the single largest donor so far. U.N. Secretary
General Kofi Annan plans to arrive in Jakarta on Thursday to coordinate aid efforts at a donors'
conference in the Indonesia, where the catastrophe claimed at least 80,000 lives. Secretary of State
Colin Powell, also due at the conference, defended the Bush administration's response to what he
called one of the world's worst catastrophes. "It's been seven days and in seven days, we have
launched a carrier battle group. We have launched an amphibious battle group. We have contributed
$350 million," Powell said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." (Cont)
Source: AP
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050102/ap/d87c4rvg0.html
65
3rd MEF To Lead PACOM Disaster-Relief, Humanitarian Efforts In Southeast Asia
Pacific Command officials in Hawaii have tapped the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force to spearhead
humanitarian-assistance and disaster-relief efforts in Southeast Asia. A forward command element
along with three assessment teams are on their way to Utapao, Thailand, to establish the command,
control and communication structure for Joint Task Force 536, which will be headed by Lt. Gen.
Robert R. Blackman, commander of the Okinawa-based 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force. The three
Humanitarian Assistance Assessment Teams — comprising mostly military experts from fields such as
civil affairs, medical treatment, preventive medicine, contracting, civil engineering, logistics and water
purification — left Wednesday for Southeast Asia. They’ll determine the resources needed to aid
victims in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. PACOM officials plan to use the Thai military facility at
Utapao as a regional support center for emergency and medical personnel providing assistance
throughout the region. It’ll also serve as a staging area for U.S. military and rescue aircraft, forensic
experts and other relief assistance — with supplies being funneled out of Utapao to tsunami-ravaged
areas. The 3rd MEF makes up a significant chunk of the forward command element and joint task
force, said Army Lt. Col. Vi Strong, a PACOM spokeswoman, but, she added, PACOM personnel
from other locations also will join the campaign. (cont)
Source: Vince Little, Stars and Stripes
U.S. Tsunami Aid Skyrockets To $350M
U.S. B-52 bombers during the Vietnam War, to rush supplies to the stricken resorts of southern
Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, said Maj. Larry J. Redmon in Bangkok. Other C-130s were sent by
Australia and New Zealand, and the Indonesian government said two flights from 18 countries had
reached Sumatra by Friday. But bureaucratic delays, impassable roads and long distances were
blocking much of the blankets, bottled water, plastic sheeting and medicines from reaching the needy.
Convoys distributed sugar, rice and lentils in Sri Lanka; India dispatched a ship converted into a 50bed hospital. In the Andaman islands, a remote southern Indian archipelago, officials and volunteers
struggled to deliver tons of rations, clothes, bedsheets, oil, and other items, hampered by lack of
transportation. ``There is starvation. People haven't had food or water for at least five days. There are
carcasses. There will be an epidemic,'' said Andaman's member of Parliament, Manoranjan Bhakta. At
popular Phuket resort in Thailand, people pored over photos of the dead and missing. ``At this point
we hope against hope that they are still alive somewhere,'' said Canadian tourist Dan Kwan, hunting
for his missing parents. He said it was possible they were unconscious or unable to speak. Forensic
teams in Thailand packed bodies in dry ice as the government announced its death toll had doubled to
more than 4,500 people, almost half of them vacationing foreigners. In Sri Lanka, where more than
4,000 people were unaccounted for, TV channels devoted 10 minutes of every hour to reading the
names and details of the missing. (Cont)
Source: AP
http://www.theacademic.org/stories/11045295210/story.shtml
Tsunami Aid Reaches Isolated Aceh
US helicopters have begun dropping food and medical supplies in isolated parts of Aceh province in
Indonesia that were worst hit by last Sunday's tsunami. Many remote communities there have been
completely cut off and it is difficult to get aid in, relief workers say. In the second-worst affected
country, Sri Lanka, there were fears of disease after heavy rains and flash flooding. In India, supplies
were air-dropped onto Andaman and Nicobar islands, after criticism that aid was slow to arrive. More
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than 124,000 people have been confirmed dead across Asia - three-fourths in Indonesia alone. The
United Nations says the number exceeds 150,000 and may never be known as many bodies have been
washed out to sea. In other developments: US Secretary of State Colin Powell and President George W
Bush's brother Jeb head for Thailand and Indonesia later on Sunday to see the devastation at first-hand.
Police in Thailand say thousands of local people are still missing, presumed dead, in the town of Baan
Nam Khem in Phang Nga province. The UN children's agency, Unicef, urges more protection for
thousands of children orphaned by the disaster. The leader of the worldwide Anglican Church, the
Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, says the devastation in Asia will make believers in God
question their faith. About 12 American Seahawk helicopters are now delivering aid from a US aircraft
carrier stationed off the coast of western Aceh, near the epicenter of the earthquake. Over the last few
days a bottleneck of aid materials has been building up in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, as the
region's infrastructure has been destroyed by the quake.
Source: BBC News
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4141499.stm
U.S. Help On The Way As Tsunami Deaths Top 123,000
The United States upped its tsunami relief aid tenfold Friday as the world's ships and planes converged
on devastated shores. Bottlenecks of supplies built up, fears of epidemics grew, and in an echo of
9/11's aftermath, people at a Thai resort scoured a bulletin board of 4,000 photos in search of the dead
and missing. Indonesian Muslims pray for tsunami victims Friday at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. Six
days after the earthquake and tsunamis that ravaged 3,000 miles of African and Asian coastline, the
confirmed death toll was about 123,000, and 5 million people were homeless. Remote Indian islanders
were said to be facing starvation. In an even more grave assessment, U.N. humanitarian chief Jan
Egeland estimated the number of dead was approaching 150,000. " (Cont)
Source: USA Today via Mainichi Daily News
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2004-12-31-tsunami_x.htm?POE=NEWISVA
‘Nice’ Asia Images Sweep Into US
When relief gets into full-swing in tsunami-hit Asia, when all the stranded foreign tourists from Galle
to Port Blair to Bangkok are repatriated home and the Boxing Day disaster becomes a memory or a
talking point in drawing rooms in the US, what will change forever is the way people in America view
Asia. A recurring theme in the saturation coverage on TV and newspapers here of the Asian tsunami
has been “how nice!!” ordinary people have been in countries affected by the tragedy. Like “shock and
awe” in Iraq which was brought into drawing rooms across the world by 24-hour television, the reach
of global news networks, combined with the power of the Internet, has brought Asia’s catastrophe
closer home to people in far-away America like no natural disaster before. In fact, the exhaustive and
graphic TV images since Sunday have brought a stream of e-mails to cable news networks here —
from many Americans who are comfortable in the safe bubble they live in — asking the networks to
tone down coverage and show less of the suffering. A recurring theme in the news here is how the
Thais went out of their way to help foreigners hit by the waves: even those injured or cast away by the
tsunami ignored their plight and lent a hand to comfort visitors to their land. So many Westerners are
missing or dead that the US state department’s emergency phone numbers here for tsunami rescue are
receiving 400 calls an hour. (Cont)
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Carrier Under Isle Command Joins Relief
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, destroyers, cruisers, cargo airplanes and helicopters under
the authority of the Hawaii-based Pacific Command are heading to Southeast Asia to aid earthquake
and tsunami victims. The relief effort is considered the largest in history, and Pacific Command
personnel expect to be busy. Its relief operations will be conducted out of Thailand under Marine Lt.
Gen. Robert Blackman, who normally heads the Marine's 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force in
Okinawa. Almost all of the military aid at this point have involved troops, vessels and aircraft from
Japan and the West Coast. So far, no units or military personnel from Hawaii have been requested.
Helicopters under the Pacific Command will be key assets in the search and rescue operations because
all the roads have been wiped out in many areas, a Camp Smith official said. So far, military aid has
included six Air Force C-130 cargo aircraft from Yokota Air Base in Japan loaded with relief supplies
and sent to Utapao, a Thai air base where the Air Force ran much of its operations during the Vietnam
War. Three additional C-130 transports are on call, the Pacific Command said. The Pacific
Command's area of responsibility includes the Indian Ocean. Joint Task Force 536, which will be
supported by Blackman's 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force, will be the "regional support center for
emergency and medical personnel providing assistance throughout the region." "It will also be a
staging area for U.S. military and rescue aircraft, forensic experts, and other relief assistance,"
according to a Pentagon release. (Cont)
Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin
http://starbulletin.com/2004/12/29/news/index3.html
U.S. Forces Increase Disaster Aid To S. Asia
Fourteen military mortuary affairs and forensic specialists will leave Hickam Air Force Base today to
aid in the recovery and identification of victims from Sunday's devastating Indian Ocean earthquake
and tsunamis. The two teams from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command will first be flown into
Thailand before being sent to one of the affected Asian countries. The JPAC teams will be transported
to Thailand on a Hawaii Air National Guard KC-135 jet Stratotanker. The Pacific Command at Camp
Smith ordered the JPAC teams, which are normally used to recover and identify remains of servicemen
missing in action, to be deployed to help the military relief effort headed by the 3rd Marine
Expeditionary Force from Okinawa. The Pacific Command also reported that six roll-on, roll-off
cargo vessels belonging to Maritime Preposition Squadron 3 in Guam have been sent to the Indian
Ocean region loaded with enough equipment and supplies to sustain 17,000 Marines for up to 30 days.
Each ship can discharge cargo either pier side or while anchored offshore. The cargo vessels have
equipment to convert massive gallons of salt water to fresh water daily. (Cont)
Aid For Aceh Survivors Weeks Away Despite Relief Operation Gaining Momentum
Countless survivors of the tsunami that killed 100,000 people on Indonesia's Sumatra island will not
receive vital aid for "weeks" despite the massive relief program starting to make progress, the United
Nations said. US navy helicopters began delivering aid to refugees in Aceh on Saturday while a
growing number of field hospitals were operating in the provincial capital of Banda Aceh and relief
supplies poured into the local airport. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's spokesman also said 10
military and civilian ships had begun delivering supplies to the devastated and isolated west coast town
of Meulaboh, which is inaccessible by road. But the chief of the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs in Indonesia, Michael Elmquist, told AFP that a myriad of coordination and
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infrastructure problems was making it impossible to quickly deliver enough aid. "It's going to take
weeks before we get out to all the isolated areas," Elmquist told AFP by telephone from Jakarta after
returning from Aceh's capital of Banda Aceh. "It's a concern and we are desperately doing what we can
to find ways of establishing distribution systems in Banda Aceh." The UN and other relief
organizations have warned people in Aceh's isolated areas, particularly in leveled towns along the west
coast, may die within days if they do not immediately get clean water, food and medical treatment.
(Cont)
Delhi Uneasy Over US Visit
The official word is not out yet but the Indian establishment seems a little uneasy about the likely visit
of a high-level team from Washington to the country and its neighborhood to assess the tsunami
aftermath and the relief needed. The team — led by secretary of state Colin Powell and including
Florida governor Jeb Bush, brother of President George W. Bush — is scheduled to leave on January 2
for a tour of the worst affected countries. It is not yet clear whether the team will also visit India and
Sri Lanka but if it does, it will take some of the shine off India’s relief operations not only within the
country but also in South Asia, where it has been playing the lead role so far. India has been invited to
a special Asean summit in Jakarta on January 6 to discuss relief operations and better cooperation
among key international players and world bodies. Indonesian foreign minister Hassan Wirayuda rang
up his Indian counterpart K. Natwar Singh today. “The invitation has been received and it is under
active consideration,” said foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna. A decision is yet to be taken
because a summit will require the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Altogether 23
countries, including Asean’s 10 member nations, are expected to attend. The UN is scheduled to issue
an appeal on January 6 for aid from member countries. A donors’ conference will follow in Geneva on
January 11, which India is likely to attend. (Cont)
Source: The Telegraph; PRANAY SHARMA
As Fears Of Disease Grow, U.S. Military Picks Up Pace In Tsunami Relief Effort
With fears of disease and epidemic stretching across tsunami-ravaged Southeast Asia — where the
death toll has soared past 123,000 — U.S. military officials in the Pacific are picking up the pace of
their humanitarian and disaster-relief operations in the region. With assessment teams on the ground
and Joint Task Force 536 moving into place, led by Lt. Gen. Robert R. Blackman, commander of the
Okinawa-based III Marine Expeditionary Force, American service members are distributing food,
water and medical supplies to victims of the tragedy and aiding in the search for possible survivors. An
estimated 5 million people remain homeless. “We’ll continue to flow these things in there,” said Army
Lt. Col. Vi Strong, a Pacific Command spokeswoman. “Our tempo will continue. In fact, we’re calling
in more people to help with this effort. Nothing is slowing down. “There are a number of U.S. military
assets already in the region, and more are headed to the region for humanitarian assistance and disaster
relief.” A Marine spokesman on Okinawa said service members and supplies are continuously being
pushed out to help in the massive humanitarian-relief mission. Six flights left the island Saturday,
carrying Humvees, Meals, Ready to Eat, water and communications gear. As heavy snow fell New
Year’s Eve on Yokota Air Base, Japan, officials there sent another C-130 to Utapao, Thailand. On
Saturday, a C-17 from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., followed suit. (Cont)
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Source: Vince Little, Stars and Stripes
Disaster Brings Indian, US Navies Together In Indian Ocean For First Time
Indian and American navies will cooperate in the Indian Ocean for the first time when they join forces
to coordinate relief for the victims of tidal waves, a report said. The two countries, estranged during the
Cold War but whose ties have warmed in recent years, will join Australia and Japan in a "core group"
being created by Washington to coordinate recovery efforts. US Secretary of State Colin Powell told
AFP on Thursday that the United Nations had chief responsibility for coordinating relief in the Asian
tsunami disaster, but the core group would be "complementary" to the world body's efforts. He said the
United States sought to combine its military capability in the region with Japan's financial resources
and the assets of India and Australia to mount a rapid action to be expanded as other countries and
groups joined in. The Indian Express newspaper Friday noted that during the Cold War, the Indian
navy was effectively ranged against the armada of the United States, Japan and Australia. In the
coming weeks the South Asian region's strongest naval force would be working with the US Navy, the
world's most powerful, for the first time in the Indian Ocean, it said. (Cont)
US Helicopters Airlift Disaster Survivors From Indonesian Coast
US navy helicopters began airlifting survivors from the isolated west coast of Indonesia's tsunamidevastated Aceh province Sunday in a relief mission the United Nations hailed as "life saving".
Captain Larry Burt, commander of the navy's helicopter mission from the USS Abraham Lincoln, said
flights delivering aid to otherwise inaccessible areas would bring stranded people back to the
provincial capital Banda Aceh. Flights to drop food in remote coastal areas started Saturday, with 17
Sea Hawk helicopters working to alleviate a bottleneck of aid waiting for distribution at Banda Aceh
airport. After an appeal from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) they began bringing
back desperate survivors, many of them suffering from serious injuries. Shortly before 6:00pm (1100
GMT), the choppers completed their first evacuation, bringing back five men and a woman. One man
could barely walk and had to be supported. One was barefoot, another wore tattered trousers. The men
were placed on stretchers and taken to an IOM tent at the Indonesian airbase. Aircrewman Gilbert
Salinas, 23, said his helicopter was delivering relief supplies to one of the destroyed west coast village
when they received word of a woman needing medical attention. "I'm just glad we're here to help," said
Salimas, a search and rescue technician who took care of the woman on the return flight. He said he
was "in awe" at the destruction he saw. Earlier, Larry Burt said the navy had dropped 3 16-man
Indonesian paramedic teams at three separate locations on the west coast. (Cont)
Source: AFP
US Military Teams Arrive In Sri Lanka
Advance teams for the US military's disaster relief response arrived in Colombo yesterday to begin
assessment efforts and plan humanitarian aid operations to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Commanded
by Colonel Thomas Collins, the Disaster Response Assessment Team (DRAT) will work closely with
the Governments of Sri Lanka and Maldives to begin to determine the most immediate relief needs and
start planning the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) relief effort in co-ordination with the US
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Embassy in Colombo, the Embassy said yesterday. The 30-person team is comprised US Army,
Marine Corps, Air Force and Navy personnel.
Source: Sri Lanka - Daily News
http://www.dailynews.lk/2004/12/31/new21.html
US To Send 1,500 Marines To Lanka For Relief Work
The United States is to send 1,500 Marines to Sri Lanka within a week, to do relief and reconstruction
work in the tsunami-hit parts of the island country. Stating this at a briefing in Colombo on Friday, the
US Ambassador, Jeffrey Lunstead, said that the first batch 200 Marines would be landing in Colombo
on Saturday. He said the US Pacific Command would be deploying five hovercrafts, 20 helicopters and
a C-130 aircraft, apart from a ship which would be the logistics nerve centre and a helicopter platform.
The hovercrafts would be able to carry heavy equipment, he said. The US marines would be working
on road construction and other infrastructural restoration projects. The military relief team would be
working in collaboration with USAID, Sri Lankan government agencies and NGOs, the Ambassador
said. The US government has made an "initial" allocation of $2.6 million for relief and reconstruction
in tsunami-hit Sri Lanka. It could go up by January 15, after the Sri Lankan government had made a
final estimate of the damage and the reconstruction requirements.
Source: Hindustan Times; PK Balachanddran
Assessment Teams Set Up In Sri Lanka
More than two dozen U.S. military members arrived here early Thursday morning to determine what
supplies will be needed for humanitarian relief missions in response to the deadly tsunami that struck
this small country. The service members were in two groups: a disaster relief assessment team from
Okinawa, with Marines, soldiers and sailors; and an airfield assessment team from the 613th
Contingency Response Group at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. Both teams are part of Joint Task
Force 536. They arrived at this Sri Lankan military base to identify what’s needed to support the local
U.S. Embassy and humanitarian relief efforts. “Our mission here is to go out and size up the relief
efforts and provide the embassy with a clearer picture of what the military can provide,” said Marine
Col. Thomas Collins, disaster relief assessment team commander. His team included military members
of specialties including civil affairs, medical treatment, preventive medicine and contracting and civil
engineers. The airmen from Andersen were in Sri Lanka “to evaluate the conditions of the airfield and
to select the best place for strategic airlift,” said Lt. Col. Paul Williams, that team’s commander,
according to an 18th Wing news release from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. “We will make sure that the
local airfields can support aircraft like the C-17 and the C-5 during disaster relief operations.”
Williams brought less than a dozen personnel for the assessment Thursday but said he expects the rest
of the unit to follow shortly to help offload relief supplies, the news release stated. Both teams traveled
to Sri Lanka on an eight-hour flight on a KC-135R from the 909th Aerial Refueler Squadron from
Kadena. (Cont)
Source: Fred Zimmerman, Stars and Stripes
US Military Aid Role A First In Indonesia
American navy helicopters and transport planes have begun ferrying aid supplies to Aceh province six
days after a tsunami slammed into the coast killing tens of thousands of people. In a groundbreaking
piece of diplomacy, US soldiers will for the first time touch down on Indonesian soil in an operational
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capacity. Australian military aircraft have been involved in relief work in Aceh since mid-week,
joining small Malaysian, Singaporean and New Zealand contingents. The aircraft carrier USS
Abraham Lincoln is off the north shore of Sumatra where upwards of 80,000 people are believed to
have died. "I can confirm that 10 US navy Seahawk helicopters will begin humanitarian operations in
Aceh province today," said USAid's Michael Bok. "The helicopters were in Medan on Friday. A joint
coordinating meeting between American, Australian and Indonesian military organizations was held at
that time to coordinate our efforts." Aid convoy. US helicopters will ferry desperately needed aid
supplies to the west coast of the province which was the worst hit, Bok said. Four Australian defense
force helicopters will do the same along the east coast. Dozens of communities are believed to have
been wiped out when a magnitude 9.0 earthquake 25km offshore spawned a 10m-high tsunami that
crashed on to the coast. "The situation on the west coast is extremely serious," says Unicef's Gordon
Weiss. "We need to get aid in there as soon as possible but it is chaotic at the moment. In most areas
the civil administration no longer exists; the health providers are dead." (Cont)
Source: Aljazeera; Paul Dillon in Banda Aceh
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4A0A0C42-C6C4-42A8-8B5D-5BAC00C99BA2.htm
Villagers Mob U.S. Helicopters Bearing Aid Supplies
ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN — Desperate, homeless villagers on the tsunamiravaged island of Sumatra mobbed American helicopters carrying aid today as the U.S. military
launched its largest operation in the region since the Vietnam War, ferrying food and other emergency
relief to survivors across the disaster zone. From dawn until sunset on New Year's Day, 12 Seahawk
helicopters shuttled supplies and advance teams from offshore naval vessels while reconnaissance
aircraft brought back stark images of wave-wrecked coastal landscapes and their hungry, traumatized
inhabitants. "They came from all directions, crawling under the craft, knocking on the pilot's door,
pushing to get into the cabin," said Petty Officer First Class Brennan Zwack. "But when they saw we
had no more food inside, they backed away, saying 'Thank you, thank you.'" "The mob decided how
we distributed the food. There were so many hands outstretched I don't think any package touched the
ground," added Zwack, of Sioux Falls, S.D. The helicopters took off from the aircraft carrier USS
Abraham Lincoln, staged in calm waters about three miles off the Indonesian province of Aceh along
with four other vessels to launch the sprawling U.S. military operation. More than a dozen other ships
were en route to southern Asian waters, with the USS Bonhomme Richard, an amphibious assault
vessel carrying Marines, headed for Sri Lanka, which along with Indonesia was the worst-hit area. The
mission involves thousands of sailors and Marines, along with some 1,000 land-based troops. (Cont)
Source: AP
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/world/2973813
U.S. Navy Helicopter Sorties Bring Aid Into Indonesia
U.S. Navy helicopters began arriving in the devastated Indonesian city of Banda Aceh on Saturday
reinforcing a massive international aid effort to help survivors of the devastating tsunami. Sorties
involving a dozen H-60 Seahawk helicopters from the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, which
positioned off the coast of Sumatra island late Friday, began touching down in the city, a U.S. military
spokesman told AFP. He said the aircraft would continue to additionally run missions down the west
coast of hard-hit Aceh province, where many survivors cut off from the outside world are threatened
by starvation and sickness. Two U.S. C-130 Hercules aircraft also arrived in Jakarta on Saturday,
where they were loaded up with relief supplies before departing directly for Banda Aceh, while a
further two C-130 transporters would arrive in the Sumatra city of Medan late Saturday. He said the
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Hercules were fitted with night landing gear, allowing them to arrive at Banda Aceh's partly-damaged
airport after dark, freeing up daylight time for standard aircraft who are queuing up to land in the city.
Source: AFP
U.S. Uses Thai Base As Tsunami Relief Hub
A Thai air base that accommodated U.S. bomber planes during the Vietnam War is being used by the
American military again as the hub of its tsunami relief effort in the Indian Ocean. U.S. officials said
Thursday that transport planes and personnel already are flying into and out of Utapao, about 90 miles
south of Bangkok. A U.S. embassy spokesman said P-3 Orion surveillance planes were already flying
search and rescue missions over Thailand and the first supply planes arrived in Thailand overnight.
The Pentagon has said C-130 cargo planes would haul relief supplies to Thailand from Yokota air base
in Japan. They will also be used to ferry supplies, people "whatever's needed" from Utapao to affected
areas, the embassy spokesman said in a telephone interview. In coming days the crews could begin
making airdrops of emergency water supplies. "There's going to be planes and people zipping off all
over the place," he said. Utapao is well known to pilots of the Vietnam War, when it served as a base
for U.S. B52 bombers. A military forensic team also was due to arrive to help in the huge task of
identifying the dead. More than 114,000 people are dead and millions are homeless in nearly a dozen
countries after last weekend's devastating earthquake and tsunami. The military also dispatched ships
from an aircraft battle group to help with the relief effort. The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier strike
group, which was in Hong Kong, was diverted to the Gulf of Thailand.
Source: AP
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=371244
U.S. Military Delivers Aid To Indonesia
A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier battle group is heading from Hong Kong to the shores of Sumatra. The
first of many Air Force C-130 cargo planes has landed in Indonesia with a load of blankets, plastic
sheeting and medicines. As the death toll from southern Asia's deadly earthquake and tsunami waves
soared Thursday, Washington put long-standing concerns over politics and human rights violations in
Indonesia aside and mobilized its military for what promises to be a complex relief mission. The Bush
administration regards Indonesia _ the world's most populous Muslim nation _ as its key Southeast
Asian ally in the war on international terrorism and the disaster is offering an opportunity to
demonstrate the humanitarian capabilities of the U.S. military. But officials said saving lives is more
important than scoring political points. "Considering the pressing need, whatever we do couldn't be
fast enough," said Charles Silver, spokesman at the U.S. Embassy. "We have not had trouble getting
our people in." Silver said the first U.S. cargo plane, a C-130 flying out of Kadena, Japan, touched
down in the Sumatran city of Medan on Thursday with a load of relief supplies and body bags for the
estimated 80,000 dead in this country alone. The plane also brought an advance team of about a dozen
troops who will assess the situation and determine the logistics needed for the U.S. relief operation.
Complicating the problems caused by the devastation, the Sumatran province of Aceh, nearest the
epicenter of Sunday's mammoth earthquake, has long been restricted to foreigners because of a
decades-old separatist insurgency. (Cont)
Source: AP
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041231/ap/d87adhso0.html
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Tsunami Survivors Cheer U.S. Choppers
U.S. Navy helicopters dropped aid to clamoring crowds in tsunami-hit Indonesian villages Sunday but
were unable to land a full week after the waves washed away entire towns around the Indian Ocean.
Seven days after a massive undersea quake off Sumatra triggered the giant waves, a multinational force
of aid workers, military aircraft and navy ships battled nightmarish logistical obstacles to deliver aid to
millions. Aid pledges reached $2 billion, but the United Nations said it would take days to reach some
of the survivors and predicted the death toll, now at 127,000, would rise to 150,000. Health authorities
say outbreaks of disease could kill tens of thousands more. "You have serious water-carrying diseases
such as dysentery as a ticking time bomb," said Jorgen Poulsen, chief of the Danish Red Cross in
Banda Aceh. "We hope we can avoid cholera. The problem is we have already seen people vomiting in
town." After an initial lax response from wealthy countries, the new year brought a generous aboutturn with contributions doubling in a 24-hour period. Washington increased its pledge ten-fold to $350
million, while Japan vowed half a billion dollars. The disaster has touched all corners of the globe -- 40
countries lost nationals in addition to the 13 countries hit by the tsunami. The unprecedented relief
effort, along with the heart-rending stories of loss, rescue and survival, have brought together a world
divided over Iraq and terrorism. (Cont)
Source: Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7217494&section=news
U.S. Carrier Battle Group To Arrive In Aceh On Friday
A U.S. carrier battle group steamed toward Indonesia's Sumatra island Friday to spearhead an
unprecedented multinational military effort to assist the survivors of last weekend's quake and
tsunamis. A second U.S. marine strike group was meanwhile sailing westward from the Pacific
territory of Guam for the seas off Sri Lanka to buttress the burgeoning global drive to bring water,
medical supplies to millions of increasingly desperate people. Other nations also rushed to join the
seaborne drive as naval ships in both Singapore and Australia prepared to sail Friday. Both were
headed for Aceh, Sumatra's northernmost province and the area closest to the epicenter of the quake.
Led by the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, the five-ship battle group will take up
position off Aceh later Friday, U.S. navy officials said. The Strait of Malacca is the waterway that lies
between Sumatra and peninsula Malaysia; Aceh is at its northern end. (Cont)
Source: AP
100 Isle Personnel To Aid Asia
More than 100 Marines and sailors stationed in Hawaii will join tsunami relief efforts this week in
southern Asia. Six CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters from the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe
and their crews will transport emergency relief supplies to needed areas and evacuated injured people,
Chuck Little, Marine Forces Pacific spokesman, said yesterday. Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron
362, nicknamed the "Ugly Angels," under the command of Lt. Col. Scott Minaldi, will be airlifted via
cargo aircraft within the week, he said. A Coast Guard C-130 airplane to transport emergency supplies
and humanitarian assistance is expected to leave from Barbers Point tomorrow, the Coast Guard said.
Its primary cargo will be food, water, and emergency medical and shelter supplies. Coast Guard Pacific
Area Strike Team members from Alameda, Calif., will make initial assessments of hazardous materials
and conditions in the vicinity of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, the Maldives, Malaysia and Thailand. The team
will provide assessments of clean-up requirements and long-term support for any sustained operations
in the affected region, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard Cutter Munro, home-ported in Alameda,
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Calif., and another C-130 airplane based in Sacramento also are going to help with disaster relief
efforts as part of the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group. The U.S. Pacific Command, based at
Camp Smith, has established a Web site with news of military relief efforts at
www.pacom.mil/special/0412asia/index.shtml.
American Aid Tour: US Help Sought On Warning System
PM to meet Powell tomorrow, will ask for technical assistance from Washington The Thai
government will ask the United States for technological assistance for an early warning system and for
forensic examinations, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said. The request will be made when
Thaksin meets US Secretary of State Colin Powell tomorrow. Powell began his visits yesterday to
Asian countries hit by the deadly tidal wave. Accompanied by Florida Governor Jeb Bush, President
George W Bush’s brother, Powell will travel to Thailand and Indonesia to assess recovery needs from
the unprecedented disaster. “We will ask for technical assistance from the US so that we can handle
any possible future catastrophes effectively,” Thaksin said. “We need technology on early warning
systems and forensics.” The overall death toll yesterday from the tsunami that had hit at least 11 Asian
countries stood at 125,000. The confirmed death toll in Thailand is almost 5,000, about half of them
foreigners. Thaksin also said that the government will pay a compensation of Bt100,000 to each
victim’s family. Meanwhile, Karl Kent, leader of the Australian forensics team, said it would take
several months to identify thousands of bodies in tsunami-hit Thailand, but that some badly
decomposed corpses may remain unidentified forever. (Cont)
Source: The Nation
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2005/01/03/national/index.php?news=national_15952043.html
Thousands Of Troops Assist Relief Effort In Disaster-Hit Provinces
More than 4,000 soldiers have been deployed to help the relief effort in the country's six tsunamidevastated southern provinces, Defense Minister General Samphan Boonyanant said today. The
minister expressed thanks to the United States, which has sent seven aircraft to fly rescue missions.
Australia, France and Germany have also offered to help with the relief operation. General Samphan
denied reports that the arsenal in Pang-Nga province, one of the worst-hit areas, may now have to be
moved. He said strict security measures were in place at the arsenal, and “explosives and ammunition
don’t normally explode out of the blue.” There was no immediate need to move the arsenal. The
general added that the Royal Thai Navy base in Pang-nga was being repaired after the damaged
inflicted on it by the tsunami. Sixteen people died and buildings within the naval station were badly
damaged. The defense minister was to visit the south later today on a morale-boosting exercise for
soldiers in country's insurgency-hit border provinces. He played down suggestions that the
mobilization of troops to assist in the coastal relief effort may leave a vacuum in border security,
saying nothing had changed as soldiers were being sent to the disaster area from other parts of the
country.
Source: TNA
U-Tapao Hub For US Troop Help
U-tapao naval airbase in Rayong and the airforce's Wing 6 at Don Muang have become the command
base for US troops taking part in tsunami rescue operations, a military source said. The US military in
75
the Pacific has sent a number of aircraft and ships and hundreds of troops to Thailand, including three
P-3 patrol aircraft and six C-130 transport planes, said the source. Supreme Commander Gen Chaisit
Shinawatra has also approved the use of the U-tapao airbase as a command centre for tsunami
operations for the region. The Thai government was at first reluctant to accept US assistance because
of concerns about Muslims in some tsunami-hit areas being sensitive to any American presence, the
source said. However, given the severity of the disaster, Bangkok has decided to accept relief aid from
the international community, including from the US. ACM Chalit Phasuk, Air Combat Commander,
said that Wing 6 at Don Muang will serve as a temporary base for aircraft and personnel during the
rescue operations. Other air force bases such as Wing 7 in Surat Thani will be put to use. ACM Chalit
said the US and Thailand have an agreement on the use of air force bases in rescue operations. The
source said the P-3 radar-equipped aircraft that can fly 10 hours non-stop will be used to search for
survivors. Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry said over 5,000 Thai troops along with a large number of
aircraft, ships and heavy machinery have been dispatched to assist in rescue and relief operations.
Source: Bangkok Post
76
Appendix A – Tsunami Aid Chart (Updates In Red)
Donor Countries
UNITED STATES
AUSTRALIA
INDIA
JAPAN
UNITED STATES
Recipient
Countries
n/a
n/a
Relief / Assistance
•
Formed coalition to coordinate relief and
construction efforts
•
•
$350 million in aid
US delegation to assess damages (led by Secretary
of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb
Bush) to Indonesia and Thailand – scheduled to
leave 2 Jan.
(6) CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters from the
Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe
Coast Guard C-130 airplane from Barber’s Point
USS Abraham Lincoln carrier and its ships
(destroyers USS Shoup and USS Benfold, cruiser
USS Shiloh, and supply ship USS Rainer) in
position off northern Sumatra (arrived Saturday)
dozen H-60 Seahawk helicopters
(4) U.S. C-130 Hercules aircraft dropping supplies
to isolated areas since Saturday
6,500 military personnel
C-130 flying out of Kadena, Japan, touched down
in the Sumatran city of Medan on Thursday with a
load of relief supplies and body bags
Assistance from the Coast Guard Cutter Munro,
home-ported in Alameda, Calif., and another C130 airplane based in Sacramento
transport planes and personnel are flying into and
out of Utapao
P-3 aircrafts flying search and rescue missions
over Thailand
2 teams from Joint POW/MIA Accounting
Command (14 military mortuary affairs and
forensic specialists) will leave Hickam Air Force
Base (Hawaii) today on Hawaii National Guard
KC-135 jet Stratotanker
(2) cargo planes deployed out of Diego Garcia –
one specially equipped to support a 500-bed
floating hospital complete with surgical wards,
•
UNITED STATES
Indonesia
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
UNITED STATES
Thailand
•
•
•
•
77
•
also with 90,000-gallon fresh water capability
(6) C-130 from Yokota Air Base in Japan ferrying
water, food and other supplies to Utapao
(3) KC-135 jet aircraft from Kadena Air Base,
Okinawa, transporting water, food, and supplies to
Utapao
Three U.S. military disaster relief assessment
teams sent (each numbering 10-15 people)
50-member team from the 13th Air Force and
other units on Andersen Air Force Base (Guam) –
will set up operations command post
sending 1,500 Marines
US Pacific Command would be deploying five
hovercrafts, 20 helicopters and a C-130 aircraft,
apart from a ship which would be the logistics
nerve centre and a helicopter platform
sent USS Bonhomme Richard, the USS Duluth,
USS Rushmore, USS Thach, USS Pasadena and
Coast Guard cutter Munro (Expeditionary Strike
Group 5)
assessment teams arrived
•
$100,000 each
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
$10 million
$1.5 million (by Victorian government)
$2 million (by New South Wales government)
$27 million (mostly to Indonesia)
(4) Iroquois helicopters to Indonesia
800 troops (mostly in Indonesia)
90 medical personnel in Aceh
(5) C-130s
Drinking water
Misc. supplies
2 Royal Australian Air Force C-130 transport
planes
Water purification units
Blankets
Bottled water
12 forensic experts
Medical team
•
•
•
•
UNITED STATES
Sri Lanka
•
•
•
UNITED STATES
UNITED STATES
AUSTRALIA
Sri Lanka
Indonesia
Thailand
India
Indonesia
Sri Lanka
Maldives
n/a
AUSTRALIA
Indonesia
Thailand
AUSTRALIA
Malaysia
AUSTRALIA
Thailand
•
•
•
•
•
78
AUSTRIA
n/a
BANGLADESH
BANGLADESH
Thailand
Sri Lanka
Maldives
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
BELGIUM
CANADA
CHINA
CHINA
n/a
n/a
Indonesia
Sri Lanka
•
•
•
•
CHINA
India
Indonesia
Thailand
Sri Lanka
Maldives
Sri Lanka
•
•
CZECH
DENMARK
EAST TIMOR
EUROPEAN
UNION
FRANCE
FRANCE
FRANCE
FINLAND
GERMANY
n/a
n/a
n/a
Sri Lanka
Thailand
n/a
Sri Lanka
Thailand
$1.75 million
Plane
Food
Medicine
Emergency goods
Pending on request
(2) C-130 air force planes with rescue, relief and
medical supplies [purification plant, tube wells,
rescue boats, tents, medicine and clothes]
2 armed forces teams (96-member team to Sri
Lanka and 61-member team to Maldives)
Military plane [tents, vaccines]
$60 million
rescue team
14-member medical team, two teams already in
area
$60.5 million
cargo plane with relief goods worth $1.22 million
arrived [blankets, tents, bedding, food and medical
equipment] to Sri Lanka
•
•
•
•
•
$444,400
8 tons drinking water
$15.6 million
$50,000
$202 million
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
$57 million for rescue efforts
Medical team [100 doctors]
Rescue specialists
Communications experts
10 tons of aid
Medicine
Field medical post
Rescue team
$3.4 million
$3.5 million dollars
(3) experts to help restore water supplies
German air force medical evacuation plane to set
off for Phuket
79
•
GREECE
Maldives
Thailand
Sri Lanka
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
INDIA
Indonesia
Maldives
Thailand
Sri Lanka
INDONESIA
n/a
•
ISRAEL
•
•
•
ITALY
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Thailand
Sri Lanka
Thailand
IRELAND
ISRAEL
n/a
Sri Lanka
•
•
•
•
•
•
JAPAN
JAPAN
n/a
Sri Lanka
•
•
ITALY
JAPAN
KOREA
KOREA
Thailand
n/a
Sri Lanka
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
two more planes chartered to take disaster relief
teams
150,000 Euros each
(2) C-130 cargo planes (one sent to Sri Lanka, one
sending to Thailand tomorrow)
Six tons of aid
Medical team (17 doctors and staff)
Rescuers
$23 million to Sri Lanka
$1 million to the Maldives
$1 million to Indonesia
half a million to Thailand
ten warships sent – backed by helicopters and
transport aircraft and loaded with relief supplies
International Summit to be held on 6 January –
discuss distribution of more than $2 billion in
pledged aid to tsunami victims
Sent medical team to both
Military search and rescue team to Sri Lanka
(2) Hercules aircraft
Tents
Generator
Field hospital staff
Drinking water
$1.3 million
Medical team [ (2) trauma specialists, pediatrician
and an anesthetist]
Up to $500 million in aid
20-member medical team [(4) physicians; (7)
nurses]
Medical supplies
Drinking water
Tents [for 1000 people]
Two helicopters
Two forensic experts
two Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers and a
supply vessel look for survivors in Phuket
SDF troops and medical staff sent to Phuket
Considering $50 million
$5 million in emergency aid
C-130 expected to leave this morning
80
KUWAIT
n/a
MALAYSIA
Indonesia
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
7 tons of medical supplies
8-member team
$2.1 million dollars
$100,000 sent
Twenty Fire and Rescue Services Department
personnel arrived yesterday in Aceh
CN 235 aircraft and a Nuri helicopter with a team
of four armed forces doctors
One C-130 (leaving on Thursday)
first container of donations will leave Friday
$2.6 million
$3.5 million
police and defense personnel in Indonesia helping
with victim identification and a C-130 Hercules
delivering relief supplies
30-strong New Zealand Defense Force medical
team left for Indonesia
$500,000 donation to Red Cross
$100,000 worth of emergency humanitarian aid
$6.6 million
Pakistan Navy Ships NASR, Auxiliary Tanker and
TARIQ, Type-21 Destroyer
Seaking and Aloutte helicopters
Emergency Drop – [Food Supplies]
Pakistan Army C-130
Tents
Medicines
Drinking water
Blankets
Rice
military personnel left Sunday
C-130 transport aircraft
heavy equipment to be transported by Navy ships
•
Sending forensic experts to Thailand
•
Will send 3 medical teams (4 doctors and 4 nurses
to each)
•
•
•
$336,100 for Polish NGOs involved
(2) planes on 4 Jan.
Tents, blankets, water purification facilities and
diesel generators
•
MALAYSIA
NETHERLANDS
NEW ZEALAND
Sri Lanka
Indonesia
Thailand
•
•
•
•
•
•
NEW ZEALAND
NEPAL
NORWAY
PAKISTAN
n/a
Sri Lanka
n/a
Maldives
PAKISTAN
Indonesia
PHILIPPINES
Indonesia
Thailand
POLAND
n/a
RUSSIA
Indonesia
•
•
•
•
81
SCOTLAND
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SAUDI ARABIA
•
RUSSIA
Thailand
RUSSIA
Sri Lanka
SINAGPORE
SINGAPORE
n/a
Indonesia
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SINAGAPORE
SINGAPORE
(via Red Cross)
SINGAPORE
SLOVAKIA
SPAIN
SWEDEN
Thailand
Bangladesh
India
Indonesia
Malaysia
Maldives
Burma
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Indonesia
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Maldives
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
sending Ilyushin -62 plane
two tons of drinking water
sent 57-member experts
IL 76 Russian planes
helicopter-B0-105
tents
aid-workers
misc. equipment
Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund has
donated £25,000 for food, water and shelter
$10 million aid package ($5 million via Saudi Red
Crescent, $5 million via Red Cross and UN High
Commissioner for Refugees)
SD$5 million
200 personnel in Aceh
2 Chinook helicopters had left for Aceh
Wednesday
Sending 530 military personnel (including a 25member medical team and engineering team)
Sending large navy vessel
Offered to opening hospitals to victims, air and
naval bases to foreigners sending aid
Offered to be UN Regional Disaster Coordination
Hub
100 personnel in Phuket helping in the search and
rescue operations
four helicopters sent
50 personnel to Medan and Phuket
Singapore Gov’t to give S$500,000 to Singapore
Red Cross for relief supplies
Singapore Air Force (SAF) – [Medical Team]
10 tons of aid (pending)
sent first aid/sanitary equipment
one million euros for aid and planes
$75.5 million
Two teams from Sweden’s rescue services
[technicians, communications experts]
82
TAIWAN
n/a
TAIWAN
Indonesia
TAIWAN
India
Thailand
Sri Lanka
Indonesia
TAIWAN
TAIWAN
(via non-profit
Rescue
Headquarters)
UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES
UNITED
KINGDOM
UNITED
KINGDOM
UNITED ARAB
EMIRATES
•
•
•
•
•
$50 million
100-member medical group
Medical team in Aceh
$100,000
$50,000 each
•
Thailand
•
Dispatched medical team and relief workers with
3.5 tons of food, medicine, tents and sleeping bags
Sent 35-member team with relief supplies and
advanced rescue equipment, including underwater
robot
n/a
•
$2 million
Sri Lanka
•
Sent plane with US$481,500 worth of supplies
n/a
•
•
•
•
$96 million
$100,000 to World Health Organization
2 experts for UN Crisis Assessment Team
2 million in aid
83

(VIC) Comprehensive Disaster Report 01-02-2005

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