Tsunami death toll must not be allowed to rise: Indonesian President
6/1/2005 14:49
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Jakarta on Thursday
called for global cooperation to cope with the Dec. 26 earthquake-tsunami
natural disaster which has killed over 90,000 people in his country.
"Many
today are in danger of dying of diseases and the death toll must not be allowed
to rise any further," the president told the Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on
Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami which opened here Thursday
morning.
Susilo said: "Today we confer on the aftermath of natural disaster
that left more than 150,000 dead 12 days after the disaster. The death toll in
the region keeps rising -- the most destructive disaster in living
memory."
He told participants at the meeting that "the eruption of Mount
Krakatau killed more than 36,000 people and I remembered in my school days with
astonishment...
"My generation face a natural disaster so great and it would
inflict human casualties three times that of Krakatau, high toll among
children."
Susilo said his government and the world community have responded
vigorously with more than 30 countries having contributed to help with fund,
logistical resources, food medicine and other assistance.
Despite all
tremendous efforts, yet more needs to be done, said the president.
"We need
to do them very urgently and we need to do them collaboratively."
Susilo said
he took a helicopter ride above Aceh and Meulaboh, a distance of about 240 km,
to see communities and villages along the coastlines flattened to the ground
with no visible signs of life.
"Our response to this unprecedented
catastrophe must be equally unprecedented so that it can immediately put an end
to the human suffering and misery that came after," he
added.
Xinhua
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