Indonesia struck by earthquake.

Nimh, it has to do with a knowledge of the sea. Waves are there, rolling along, mostly below the surface. When they come up on the continental shelf, the ground forces them up to form a higher peak-to-trough ratio. It would prolly seem natural to a seaman.

Runway accident hampers aid bid

Badly-needed relief efforts on the Indonesian island of Sumatra have been hit by an accident at a key airport.

The only airport in Aceh province was closed early on Tuesday after an aid plane hit a cow on the runway.

The airport is vital to supply aid to remote areas struck by the 26 December earthquake and tsunami.

The UN fears the death toll will rise "exponentially" once aid workers are able to fully assess the extent of the damage on Sumatra's western coast.

In other developments:



US Secretary of State Colin Powell - on a tour of the region - pledges America's full support in the Asian quake and tsunami relief effort

An Indian helicopter dropping food and water over the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands is attacked by tribesmen using bows and arrows.

The first planes bringing home the bodies of some of the 52 Swedes known to have died in the tsunami disaster are expected to arrive in Stockholm

Aid bottleneck

The airport accident in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, occurred when a cargo plane hit the cow after landing, and came to rest two-thirds of the way down the runway.

The military says the engine and landing gear are badly damaged and without heavy lifting equipment, the airport remains closed to fixed-wing aircraft.

The UN has already expressed its concern at the airport's limited capacity. Civilian and military planes have to share the same runway.

Pilots fear the airport may remain closed throughout the day.

The US Navy - which is helping transport the aid - says that there is enough food and medicine in Banda Aceh to move by helicopter to outlying regions.

But officials make it clear that opening the runway is a priority to the aid operation.

Terrible conditions

Before the accident, the relief logjam in Aceh was finally being eased.

Military aircraft from Indonesia, the US, Australia, and Malaysia were taking supplies from Banda Aceh to isolated parts of the province, close to the epicentre of the earthquake.

But heavy rains and damage to roads and bridges were preventing aid convoys reaching some areas.

Aid workers said they were shocked at the poor living conditions survivors were having to endure and have warned of the threat of disease.

Titon Mitra, emergency response director for Care International, told the BBC that sanitation facilities in the town of Banda Aceh were appalling.

"In these camps here we've got 3,000 people, and there's four toilets for 3,000 people, and normally you'd want for 20 people one toilet. So I think if these conditions aren't improved very quickly, we could have a serious situation in these camps alone."

Growing toll

More than 1.8 million need food aid, and about five million are homeless after the earthquake nine days ago. At least 150,000 people are known to have died in total.

The UN's relief co-ordinator, Jan Egeland, said it was previously thought Banda Aceh was the worst hit town in Aceh.

But an even more remote town, Meulaboh, may have suffered the greatest devastation, he said.

A team from the Red Cross and Red Crescent said 40,000 people - about 80% of the population - had been killed by giant waves there.

Indonesia was among the worst affected, with a loss of more than 94,000 people. Total deaths are near 140,000.

Apparently they are getting some planes in around it -but dammit!!!

Apparently they are getting some planes in around it -but dammit!!!

Child trafficking concerns add to tsunami woes
By John Taylor in Jakarta and staff reporters

Acoustic senses may have saved animals in tsunami
...

dlowan wrote:

Child trafficking concerns add to tsunami woes
By John Taylor in Jakarta and staff reporters

That is just sick.

Oxfam Press Release - 4 January 2005

Old Money & False Promises for Tsunami Countries?

Rich countries urged to deliver full package of aid, trade and debt for tsunami countries

As donors and politicians prepare to gather in Jakarta, Indonesia for the world summit for the tsunami disaster, international agency Oxfam warned them not to repeat the mistakes of the past and instead to commit to a comprehensive package of aid, debt relief and trade concessions for the countries affected by the tsunami disaster.

Barbara Stocking, Director of international agency Oxfam said:

"Rich countries must follow the public mood of generosity and compassion and deliver a radical set of proposals that will bring rapid relief and reconstruction to the millions of people whose lives have been ripped apart by this tragedy. We must ensure we don't repeat mistakes of previous humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, Liberia, and elsewhere where donors have either failed to deliver the aid quickly enough (or at all) or delivered aid at the expense of other disasters."

The agency, which is working to bring help to over 320,000 people, welcomed the initial pledges of $2billion in humanitarian aid but stressed that this is only the start of a long road of rehabilitation and reconstruction for the region.

In a letter sent to all the conference participants today, Oxfam is calling for the following actions in response to the tsunami crisis:

Aid: Fully fund the UN appeal with every single pledge turned into real aid, the UN Flash Appeal to fund relief and reconstruction following the earthquake in Bam only received $17.7 million of the $32.6 million. Aid should also be given in the form of grants not loans, not tied to the interests of the donor government and given over a five-year period. Finance for the tsunami crisis should be new money and not diverted at the expense of the millions of people suffering from other humanitarian crises such as Darfur or Congo. UN OCHA (Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) should be bolstered with the authority and increased funds so that it can take a lead role coordinating all of the UN agencies during humanitarian emergencies.

Debt Relief: The debt burden of the countries affected by the tsunami totals $300 billion and last year Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand paid out $20 billion on debt repayments. Oxfam is calling for an immediate debt moratorium for all the countries affected and a review of conditionalities of existing loans. A task force should also be set up to review how all-existing debt could be cancelled. However, generous debt relief for the tsunami countries should not come at the expense of the poorest countries that are expected to receive 100% debt relief later this year, nor should it be included as aid money.

Trade: The Sri Lankan and Maldives economies are very reliant on clothing exports (provides 50% of Sri Lanka's GDP). Given this, Oxfam is urging the EU and US to help the Sri Lankan and Maldives economies and reconstruction by opening up their markets to textile imports which have just been badly hit by the end of Multi Fibre Agreement trade deal on January 1 2005.

Ambition: The tsunami crisis has been as terrible as it has because it has largely affected poor people, most vulnerable to natural disaster. Governments should commit to reconstruction, which makes real strides towards eliminating the poverty and inequality that were widespread in the region before the tsunami hit.

Make Poverty History: The generosity shown to the victims of the tsunami should be the beginning of a real determination to end the avoidable suffering which natural disasters, conflicts and poverty inflict on so many men, women and children in all poor countries. World leaders should seize the opportunity in 2005 to Make Poverty History by taking action on aid, canceling debt relief and delivering trade justice.

Stocking added:

"This crisis reinforces the need for the world to double aid spending, cut the poorest countries debts and enable the poorest to trade their way out of poverty and develop an action plan to end world poverty. This meeting is an opportunity for the G8 countries to show they have the ambition and drive to make this happen."

ENDS

Notes to editors:

On Thursday 6 January, head of states and delegates from 23 countries, including the 10 member states of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), representatives from the European Union, the World Bank, the World Health Organization and other agencies will have a one day summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Oxfam International is a confederation of 12 independent agencies operating around the world. Oxfam International has so far raised a combined total of 21 million pounds, ($40 million US, 30 million Euros).

Foreigners Killed, Missing From Tsunami

Saturday January 8, 2005


By The Associated Press

The tally of foreigners confirmed dead from the December quake and tsunami in southern Asia, according to their countries' foreign ministries, as well as the number missing. (Some countries include all foreigners who have failed to contact authorities in the missing while others count only those known to have been present when the tsunami hit):

- Germany: 60 dead. About 1,000 missing.

- Sweden: 52 dead. 637 missing.

- Britain: 50 dead. 391 missing.

- United States: 37 dead. No clear estimate of missing.

- Switzerland: 23 dead. 400 missing.

- Japan: 23 dead, More than 240 missing.

- France: 22 dead. Fewer than 90 missing.

- Italy: 20 dead. 338 missing.

- Australia: 19 dead. 78 missing.

- Finland: 15 dead. 176 missing.

- Norway: 12 dead. 78 missing.

- South Korea: 12 dead. 8 missing.

- Austria: 10 dead. 404 missing.

- South Africa: 10 dead. 364 missing.

- Hong Kong: 10 dead.

- Singapore: 9 dead.

- Denmark: 7 dead. 57 missing.

- Netherlands: 8 dead. More than 30 missing.

- Belgium: 6 dead. 27 missing.

- Canada: 5 dead. Up to 150 missing.

- Philippines: 5 dead. 13 missing.

- Israel: 4 dead. 3 missing.

- China: 3 dead. 15 missing.

- Taiwan: 3 dead.

- New Zealand: 2 dead. 24 missing.

- Russia: 2 dead. 8 missing.

- Argentina: 2 dead.

- Brazil: 2 dead.

- Mexico: 2 dead. 1 missing.

- Poland: 1 dead. 12 missing.

- Ireland: 1 dead. 9 missing.

- Czech Republic: 1 dead. 13 missing.

- Turkey: 1 dead. 9 missing.

- Colombia: 1 dead.

- Chile: 1 dead.

- Ukraine: 17 missing.

- Portugal: 1 dead. 8 missing.

- Greece: 7 missing.

- Belarus: 5 missing.

- Hungary: 5 missing.

- Luxembourg: 3 missing.

- Estonia: 3 missing.

- Romania: 2 missing.

- Spain: 2 missing.

- Brunei: 2 missing.

- Latvia: 1 missing.

- Liechtenstein: 1 missing.

- Croatia: 1 missing.

Tsunami aid concert tops $20 million
15:48 AEDT Sun Jan 9 2005


Australians have pledged more than $20 million for victims of the Boxing Day tsunami during a star-studded fundraising telethon and concert.

The three commercial networks cast rivalries aside for the first time in simultaneous broadcasts on Saturday night to raise money for World Vision.

Thousands gathered at the Sydney Opera House and millions watched in Australia and overseas as celebrities staffed phones in Melbourne to accept donations for World Vision.

The aid agency said the tally from the Reach Out to Asia event had reached $20,116,000 at 2am (AEDT) on Sunday. The money was pledged via phone, website and SMS.

The $20 million tally is expected to climb, with phones remaining open on Sunday.

The pledges come on top of more than $120 million in private and corporate donations made to Australia's aid organisations.



World Vision head Tim Costello has praised Australians' generosity, saying the nation is at the top of the world's giving per capita.

Rev Costello said the funds raised initially would be allocated to help with the emergency relief operation.

"(World Vision's) staff in Banda Aceh have leased a helicopter, it's impossible to get aid and get around without a helicopter, because the bridges and roads are still down," he told ABC radio.

"We've set up the first of what will be 10 children's care centres because of so many orphans and so many kids at risk now of paedophiles or trafficking of children just to make money.

"We've started on the whole medical side, allocating $300,000 to clean up the muck of (Banda's Aceh's) hospital where the building is still standing, so we can get the hospital functioning again.

"$20 million is just the first stage of the emergency relief in that country (Indonesia) alone."