The United Nations continued Tuesday its efforts to aid Asian tsunami survivors, focusing on the urgent task of providing clean drinking water and health care for millions of people.
In a press release issued at the UN headquarters in New York,
the world body said the next step should be preventing the
possible outbreak of deadly diseases, as well as providing the
longer-term need for an early warning system.
The destruction of water and sanitation systems "is causing a
tremendous humanitarian disaster," UN Emergency Relief Coordinator
Jan Egeland said in the press release.
"We will need very substantive pledges," Egeland said, adding
that the world body will launch the largest ever appeal in the
coming days.
"I think this is unprecedented because very many countries are
involved," he added.
Meanwhile, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned that
deadly diarrhoea diseases and acute respiratory infections can be
expected from contaminated water sources, and the ambassadors
cited food, medicines, water purification equipment, mosquito nets
and even body bags among their priority needs.
UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams,
including officials from WHO and other agencies, have already
rushed to many of the stricken countries, while others are on
standby for deployment where needed.