Foto korban bencana alam tsunami di Aceh

On December 26 an underwater earthquake, later measured at 9.0 on the Moment Magnitude scale, occurred off the coast of Aceh on the island of Sumatra, in the Indonesian Archipelago. The resulting tsunamis have killed tens of thousands, with many more people missing, feared to be washed out to sea and drowned. The final death toll, taking into account missing persons, is likely to exceed 100,000 with up to two million people displaced and made homeless. (See Wikipedia article on Damages and casualties)

Much of the affected coastal regions in Indonesia (id) (Photos from Aceh), Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma) (UNICEF report), Sri Lanka (UNICEF report), India (UNICEF report), Maldives, and as far away as the coast of Africa, have poor communications and infrastructure which have hampered a full assessment of the disaster and immediate disaster relief.

According to UNICEF Children account for one third of tsunami dead. The UN Population fund warns that women and girls are especially vulnerable to the "second wave" of the disaster as millions of people face health risks due to contamination of drinking water, and devastation of health infrastructure.

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Estimates of the numbers of dead have been revised upwards from 15,000 24 hours later on the 27th December, 20-30,000 48 hours later, to nearly 60,000 on 29 December. With a large number of missing persons, many of which will be assumed dead, the total deaths from the earthquake and tsunamis may exceed 100,000.

There are likely to be thousands of deaths now arising from poor health conditions at risk of disease, depending upon how rapidly Western Nations and Non Government Aid and Development Organisations respond in immediate assistance and rebuilding the infrastructure destroyed.

Although within days, many western nations had pledged medical and material assistance and financial aid, a United Nations official has criticised the limited amount of Government assistance offered.

United Nations Under-secretary General, Jan Egeland, who is also the UN humanitarian chief, said the UN appeal for the devastated countries may become the largest ever because of the wide swath of destruction.

"I think this may be the biggest natural disaster ever," Egeland told BBC radio, adding that the damage was "beyond comprehension."

"A tsunami of this size happens once in a generation only. The population explosion around the Indian Ocean has led to many, many more people being exposed. The first wave of destruction has caused tens of thousands of deaths, but the second wave of misery is really caused now by the water and sanitation systems," he told the BBC.

According to the Calcutta Telegraph, Jan Egeland accused America of being "stingy" in its initial response to the natural disaster, a $15 million aid package.

"We were more generous when we were less rich, many of the rich countries," Egeland, a Norwegian, said. "And it is beyond me, why are we so stingy, really. Even Christmas time should remind many western countries at least how rich we have become."

The aid package came in for attack by others including Rev. Al Sharpton, an American black leader and a 2004 Democratic presidential aspirant.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is appealing for more than 50 million Swiss francs to support its largest emergency operation in decades, the agency said on the 28 December. An initial appeal for 7.5 million francs was met within 12 hours. Other Aid agencies such as Oxfam UK have also called for donations from the public. (Sites accepting on-line donations)

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