tsunami

Kevin Kennedy updates the press

UN's top priority remains getting aid to tsunami victims it has not yet reached

7 January 2005
Nearly two weeks after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami disaster, the United Nations relief operation has not yet reached all areas and the number one priority remains getting assistance to people in need, above all in Indonesia which is "the heart of the crisis," a top emergency official said today.
Annan (left) with President Yudhoyono of Indonesia

In Jakarta, Annan launches nearly $1 billion appeal for aid to tsunami victims

6 January 2005
Spearheading the international effort to bring relief to the victims of last week's devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday launched a $977 million flash appeal for emergency aid – by far the largest ever for a natural disaster and almost three times the previous record.
Tsunami wreckage

UN’s tsunami relief appeal looks at needs both massive and modest

6 January 2005
The nearly $1 billion United Nations flash appeal that Secretary-General Kofi Annan launched today for the survivors of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami ranges from the massive cost of feeding 2 million people for the next six months to relatively more modest pin-point goals such as replacing lost fishing boats.
USG Jan Egeland

Enormous problems still persist for tsunami relief operations in Indonesia - UN

6 January 2005
While relief operations after last week's devastating Indian Ocean tsunami are making "phenomenal progress" in areas that can be reached, "enormous problems" still persist in Indonesia, the top United Nations emergency coordinator said today.

As tsunami aid nears $4 billion, UN warns 150,000 could die without urgent care

5 January 2005
With aid pledges for the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami already reaching between $3 billion and $4 billion, the United Nations health agency warned again today that 150,000 people are at "extreme risk" of dying from preventable diseases unless clean drinking water and other basic needs are restored within days.

Annan arrives in Indonesia to launch UN flash appeal for tsunami victims

5 January 2005
Praising as “marvellous” the world response so far to last week's devastating Indian Ocean tsunami, Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia, today to launch the United Nations flash appeal expected to total many hundreds of millions of dollars for the most urgent needs over the next six months.
USG Jan Egeland briefs correspondents

UN message to tsunami relief workers and donors: thanks, keep it coming

5 January 2005
Praising the enormous global outpouring of pledges for the victims of last week’s devastating tsunami in the Indian Ocean, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland today delivered “a few messages” of thanks, caution and pleas for coordination.
Carol Bellamy speaks with girl at welfare centre in Sri Lanka

Tsunami aid makes extraordinary progress but faces extraordinary problems - UN

4 January 2005
As Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other world leaders headed for Indonesia to launch an emergency appeal for countries devastated by last week's Asian tsunami, the top United Nations relief coordinator said today the emergency operation was making extraordinary progress but also faced extraordinary problems.

UN promotes efforts to set up tsunami early warning system for Indian Ocean

4 January 2005
In a bid to reduce the appalling toll of future tsunamis, the United Nations is moving ahead with efforts to set up early warning systems in the Indian Ocean, Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas similar to one that already exists for the volcano and earthquake-prone Pacific Rim region.
USG Jan Egeland briefs correspondents

UN emergency coordinator rebuffs critics who say tsunami relief was too slow

4 January 2005
To critics who say that there was too little relief effort in the early phase of last week’s devastating Asian tsunami, United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland had three words today: “I respectfully disagree.”