In Jakarta, the world mobilises to prevent other tsunamis
Jakarta (AsiaNews/Agencies) Setting up a tsunami early warning system around the Indian Ocean to prevent tragedies like that of December 26, 2004, is the ambitious goal of the ASEAN summit scheduled for January 6, in Jakarta.
In addition to ASEAN's ten member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam), there will be China, Japan, South Korea, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Representatives of the United Nations, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the World Health Organisation and the European Union will also attend.
National governments and world institutions have altogether pledged US$ 2 billion for initial emergency operations in the affected countries.
Japan is giving US$ 500 million, the highest amount it has ever given in foreign aid. The US has pledged US$ 350,000. Canada doubled its aid from an initial CND$ 40 million to 80 (from US$ 35 million to 70, or 25 million to 50) and sent its Disaster Assistance Response Team to Sri Lanka.
China, too, sent Sunday a 14-member medical team to Sri Lanka to observe refugee camps in view of implementing measures to help prevent the spread of disease. Another one has been conducting similar work in Thailand to help more than 500 victims living in a rundown temple. The team found that drinking water and food in the area did not meet epidemic prevention standards with a risk of disease breaking out. A Chinese rescue team has also arrived in Indonesia, the hardest-hit country.
Thursday's summit in Jakarta will focus on rebuilding coastal communities and ensuring they will be alerted the next time an earthquake unleashes tsunamis by a system similar to the tsunami warning system that links 26 Pacific Ocean nations.
Filipino President Gloria Macapal Arroyo welcomed the summit, "not only to step up the international humanitarian response to the multinational disaster, but to enhance regional disaster preparedness through a consolidated information sharing and early warning system."
Preparedness is also important for China's many dams, often built in highly seismic areas. A quake in the Tibet Autonomous Region or Yunnan province could, for example, be fatal and cause many victims.
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30/12/2004
