|
'Now I see how they all died'
21/02/2005 14:09 - (SA)
Colombo - Former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George HW Bush were inspecting American contributions to Sri Lanka's tsunami recovery on Monday with a tour of US-funded housing and a trauma counselling centre on the southern coast.
The two former leaders had just visited the tsunami's ground zero at Aceh province on the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra Island, where they described the destruction as unimaginable and promised survivors who begged for shelter that more help would come.
"I've never seen anything like this in my entire life. Ever," Bush said.
"The first thing I thought was, 'Well, at least now I understand. I understand how they all died. I understand why they couldn't get away,"' Clinton said.
US President George W Bush asked his father and Clinton to lead the US effort to provide private aid to the tsunami victims. The pair began a tour of the tsunami zone in Thailand on Saturday and after visiting Indonesia's Aceh province, flew to Sri Lanka on Sunday.
The two former leaders discussed reconstruction efforts with Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga and had dinner at the president's residence. They planned to fly to southern Sri Lanka on Monday to visit US-funded housing units and a trauma counselling programme for children in Matara, one of the country's hardest-hit towns.
Later on Monday, they were scheduled to fly to the Maldives.
The official tsunami death toll ranges from 169 070 to 178 118 - with most of the victims in Aceh, but with Sri Lanka, Thailand and India also hit hard. Tens of thousands are missing, with most presumed dead.
In Indonesia, the elder Bush and Clinton met President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who said his country was grateful for aid donated by friendly countries and their people.
Bush and Clinton said they came away reassured that Indonesia would channel aid funds in a transparent, effective way.
Indonesia is among the world's most corrupt countries, and local anti-corruption watchdogs are already alleging that officials have been siphoning aid meant for Aceh.
"Nothing turns private donors off more than if they saw waste, or fraud, or something like that," Bush said. "But we don't anticipate that. We're very reassured by what the president said, that it's essential that not only our observers and our NGOs, that the Indonesians go forward with us and with other donor nations to be sure that it's delivered most effectively, less overhead and certainly no corruption."
Yudhoyono agreed transparency in distributing aid was important and told the Americans he was committed to fighting corruption.
"From their own words and their body language, they trust us in the reconstruction efforts, including accountability," Yudhoyono said.
- AP
|
News
