UN relief officials held an emergency meeting Tuesday with representatives from some of the hardest-hit tsunami victim countries, discussing relief methods and appealing for "as much as possible" aid from donor countries.
Jan Egeland, UN undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator, announced at a press briefing after the meeting that, the earthquake and the resulting destructive tsunami or tidal waves in the Indian Ocean area have killed at least 55, 000 people in South Asian countries, and the toll is still rising.
The calamity has caused a tremendous humanitarian disaster in the region, and the United Nations is about to launch an " unprecedented appeal for aid," Egeland said.
"The damage would be in the billions," Egeland noted. "We will need very substantive pledges. I think this is unprecedented because very many countries are involved."
Egeland met with ambassadors of some of the hardest-hit countries including Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar and the Maldives, discussing the current situation, their needs and how the United Nations could help.
The United Nations has established a disaster assessment and coordination office to offer assistance to the victim countries, sending aid to the area and calling for more donations.