Tsunami summit opens in Asia
2005-01-06 09:06
Jakarta - Asia could be hit by a second wave of deaths, this time from preventable causes, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan told an emergency summit on Thursday in Jakarta.
Annan said: "We will never know the exact magnitude of how many men, women and children have perished in the 11 days since the tsunami, the real figure is likely to exceed 150 000."
He said: "We do know at least half-a-million were injured, that nearly two million need food aid and that many more need water sanitation and health care.
"We have a duty to the survivors to stop the tsunami from being followed by a second wave of death this time from preventable causes."
Annan said: "The goodwill and concern around the world are enormous, so are the challenges facing us. There are daunting logistical constraints but they are not insurmountable."
'No nation can survive alone'
Annan echoed earlier comments from Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono calling for creation an early warning system.
"We must also draw and act on every lesson we can to prevent this occurring in the future."
Yudhoyono had called for an unprecedented response to the Asian Tsunami in his opening address to a one-day emergency summit in Jakarta.
Yudhoyono said: "What the victims went through beggars the imagination. This tragedy has been a humbling experience, it proves no nation can survive alone."
He called on all of the countries present at the meeting to meet the combined cost of the catastrophe.
He said: "Our response to this unprecedented catastrophe must be equally unprecedented so that we immediately put an end to the human suffering and misery that came later."
The one-day emergency summit is an attempt to co-ordinate the massive aid effort for tsunami-hit countries, with more than 20 leaders from donor and affected countries and international organisations attending.
Logistical, biggest challenge
Among the highest profile delegates are Annan, World Bank President James Wolfensohn and US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Country leaders at the conference include the prime ministers of Japan, China, Australia and South Korea.
Heads of charities and aid agencies from all over the world are also in attendance to discuss ways to ensure that aid is distributed as efficiently as possible.
Dave Toyten, chief executive of international Christian charity, World Vision, said: "One of our hopes is even greater co-ordination and co-operation that are or will be offering assistance.
"In many ways the biggest challenge is logistical. The greatest frustration is not being able to get supplies to areas where they are needed."
The conference was proposed by Singapore and was organised by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), a regional grouping of Cambodia, Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
- SAPA