Home>News Center>World
             
     

    UN warns of possible epidemics in quake-hit Asia
    (Agencies)
    Updated: 2004-12-27 15:04

    The United Nations warned on Monday of epidemics within days unless health systems in southern Asia can cope after more than 14,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands left homeless by a giant tsunami.

    Aid agencies round the world rushed staff, equipment and money to southern Asia after huge waves, triggered by a massive underwater earthquake, pummeled and swamped coastal communities in at least six countries on Sunday.

    "This may be the worst national disaster in recent history because it is affecting so many heavily populated coastal areas ... so many vulnerable communities," the U.N.'s Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland told CNN.

    "The longer term effects may be as devastating as the tidal wave or the tsunami itself ... Many more people are now affected by polluted drinking water. We could have epidemics within a few days unless we get health systems up and running.

    "Many people will have (had) their livelihoods, their whole future destroyed in a few seconds."

    Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia suffered the highest death tolls but Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and Bangladesh were also hit by the surging walls of water. Government officials estimate in Sri Lanka alone, 800,000 people were forced from their homes.

    Experts said the top five issues to be addressed were water, sanitation, food, shelter and health.

    "We've had reports already from the south of India of bodies rotting where they have fallen and that will immediately affect the water supply especially for the most impoverished people," said Christian Aid emergency officer Dominic Nutt.

    Some affected areas have had communications cut. Others are so remote it is impossible to know the extent of the damage.

    "This is a massive humanitarian disaster and the communications are so bad we still don't know the full scale of it. Unless we get aid quickly to the people many more could die," said Phil Esmond, head of Oxfam in Sri Lanka.

    The Geneva-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said it was seeking an immediate $6.5 million for emergency aid funding.

    "This is a preliminary appeal. It will be revised after exact needs are evaluated," said Simon Missiri, head of the federation's Asia Pacific department.

    Earlier, the federation released $870,000 from its disaster relief emergency fund to get assistance moving to the region.

    "The biggest health challenges we face is the spread of waterborne diseases, particularly malaria and diarrhea, as well as respiratory tract infections," said the Red Cross Federation's senior health officer Hakan Sandbladh.

    The federation said it would send an assessment and coordination team to Sri Lanka, and had on standby several emergency response units specialized in water and sanitation as well as field hospitals.

    The United States said it would offer "all appropriate assistance" to Asian countries, with some aid already on its way to Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

    "We're prepared to be very responsive," said State Department spokesman Noel Clay.

    The European Union pledged an initial three million euros ($4 million) and local news agency Belga said Belgium had allocated its own 500,000 euros in emergency aid to be distributed by Red Cross bodies and the EU.

    Britain said it had offered what it called practical help.

    "What we don't know is the number of people who've been displaced, and what infrastructure has been affected. That's the critical point," said Titon Mitra, emergency response director for the CARE aid agency in Geneva.



     
      Today's Top News     Top World News
     

    Asian Tsunami kills 14,425, many more homeless

     

       
     

    Army to crush any Taiwan independence plot

     

       
     

    Hu sends condolences; relief team ready

     

       
     

    Anti-secession law called 'timely'

     

       
     

    Antarctic team halfway to peak

     

       
     

    Law to make officials 'take blame and quit'

     

       
      Asian Tsunami kills 14,425, many more homeless
       
      Yushchenko has unassailable lead in Ukraine poll
       
      Ukraine's Yushchenko declares victory
       
      Israel starts Palestinian prisoner release
       
      Iraq rejects U.S. talk of adjusting vote result
       
      Hamas' win in town elections challenges Abbas
       
     
      Go to Another Section  
     
     
      Story Tools  
       
      Related Stories  
       
    Asian Tsunami kills 14,425, many more homeless
       
    Tidal waves kill more than 2,200 in Asia
      News Talk  
      Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
    Advertisement
             
    亚洲欧美日韩在线中文字幕 | 免费无码又爽又刺激高潮软件| 国产成人无码一区二区三区在线| 嫩草影院无码av| 亚洲日韩中文无码久久| 久久精品中文字幕久久| 久久久91人妻无码精品蜜桃HD| 韩国19禁无遮挡啪啪无码网站| 亚洲熟妇中文字幕五十中出| 99久久精品无码一区二区毛片| 内射人妻少妇无码一本一道| 日韩中文字幕在线视频| 中文字字幕在线中文乱码不卡| 人妻中文字系列无码专区| 日本无码色情三级播放| 最近2019免费中文字幕6| 无码精品第一页| 97性无码区免费| 无套内射在线无码播放| 欧美日韩中文国产va另类 | 亚洲av无码天堂一区二区三区| 人妻精品久久无码专区精东影业 | 日韩美无码五月天| 大桥久未无码吹潮在线观看| 中文字幕精品亚洲无线码一区| 亚洲色中文字幕无码AV| 日本欧美亚洲中文| 4hu亚洲人成人无码网www电影首页| 中文字幕51日韩视频| a最新无码国产在线视频| 最近中文字幕视频在线资源| 亚洲成av人片在线观看天堂无码 | 精品久久久久久无码中文野结衣| 免费无码一区二区| 亚洲国产精品无码久久SM | 久99久无码精品视频免费播放| 中文字幕亚洲一区| 亚洲中文字幕无码爆乳AV| 国产精品无码日韩欧| 免费无遮挡无码永久视频| 四虎成人精品无码|