Posted on 12/30/2004 10:01:15 AM PST by Keith Burwell
Indonesia Needs Help, Death Toll Expected To Exceed 400,000 Thu Dec 30 2004 12:52:01 ET
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (Bernama) -- The death toll in Acheh, the region worst hit by last Sunday's tsunami, may exceed 400,000 as many affected areas could still not be reached for search and rescue operations, Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia Drs H. Rusdihardjo said Thursday.
He said the estimate was based on air surveillance by Indonesian authorities who found no signs of life in places like Meulaboh, Pulau Simeulue and Tapak Tuan while several islands off the west coast of Sumatera had "disappeared".
He said the latest death toll of more than 40,000 in Acheh and northern Sumatera did not take into account the figures from the other areas, especially in the west of the region.
"Aerial surveillance found the town of Meulaboh completely destroyed with only one buiding standing. The building, which belonged to the military, happens to be on a hill," he told reporters after receiving RM1 million in aid for Indonesia's Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund here Thursday.
Rusdihardjo said there were about 150,000 residents in Meulaboh, which was located 150km from the epicentre of the earthquake while Pulau Simeuleu had a population of 76,000.
The contributions were from several corporate giants.
Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), represented by Chairman Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, gave RM200,000; Guthrie, represented by Chief Executive Officer Datuk Abdul Wahab Maskan, gave RM200,000; Golden Hope Plantations Berhad, represented by Group Director for Corporate, Legal and Public Affairs Norlin Abdul Samad, gave RM200,000; Maybank, represented by Head of Public Affairs Wan Norhiyati Ibrahim, gave RM200,000 and Sime Darby Group's Motor Division, represented by Director Yip Jon Khiam, also gave RM200,000.
Ahmad Sarji also handed over a PNB contribution to Utusan's Tsunami Disaster Relief Fund, which was received by Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Executive Chairman Tan Sri Hashim Makarudin to help Malaysian tsunami victims.
Ambassador Rusdihardjo said a combination of earthquake and tsunami had left 80 to 100 per cent of infrastructure in Acheh province, such as hospitals, health centres, transport and communication networks and homes, destroyed.
"Looking at the scale of destruction, it's difficult to say when the search and rescue operations can be mounted in all affected areas," he said.
He said rescue efforts were hampered by transportation difficulties and lack of fuel.
Rusdihardjo said that at this time international help, especially in the form of medicines, clean water, food and clothing, were desperately needed by Indonesia to aid survivors in Acheh.
"Now we are worried about the outbreak of diseases such as cholera, the work of disposing corpses and the absence of clean water following the contamination of water sources," he said.
Firstly Aceh(the region hardest hit) has a lot of Christians(who were fighting a civil war) & sprinkling of Buddhists.Secondly,the architecture in Indonesia & Malaysia is a mixture of Buddhist,Hindu & Islamic styles due to their diverse religious history.Many mosques in the region resemble Hindu or Buddhist shrines.
Things suck... they'll always hate us. We'll always step in the save the world. It's the way it is.
You had a point?
Incorrect.
I asked you questions based on your comments/responses.
Either you cheer for the death of all muslims in this tragedy, including newborns, or you don't.
You did.
All I did was post agreement to his posts accuracy. The company I keep has nothing to do with you, and I do not seek your approval either. Our beliefs may have no common ground what so ever, but ever since that "minor" event several years back, in several areas within the USA, I have become painfully aware of just how vile those people who attacked us really are. With that in mind, good day.
Years of totalitarianism didn't help, either. That's still no reason for the droolbabies on this thread doing their little "intolerant, lowbrowed, angry, white, bible-thumping male red zoner" routine for their DU friends (obviously I'm not including you among that number)
Yes, of course. Post 29.
Did you miss that? Or you knew I had a point and just decided to post anyway?
And shame on you as well.
A Garth Brooks sings a song comes to mind.
Not only did you beat me to it, you said it MUCH better,
Yup, we may kill innocents in our quest to get the guilty but we should never ever be callous to it or accept it as a necessary evil. Nor should we ever take joy in a tragedy that kills good and evil alike.
I'll joke about bombing Mecca and nuking parts of the Arabian peninsula but that's just talk. This tsunami is serious.
My prayers offered for you and you friends.
Exactly
I understand completely.
You don't think about masses. You think of individuals... and ask God for His mercy...and include, in your prayers, His help in forming your prayers!
Jehovah Jireh!
Your fixation on nukes...death...mayhem.
You're also pretty rude.
The only disaster I can remember before this one where millions were killed was Communism.
DU must be too slow these days!
Not really. The depravity of man that deliberately commits such heinous acts can't be directly compared to a horrible natural disaster such as this. It's apples and oranges, imo.
I truly can't believe how disgusting DU is. The crassness and vulgarity would make Clinton blush.
WHY are you posting this to me?? I posted nothing but a statistical fact, that Indonesia is overwhelingly Muslim. I made no derogatory remarks about ANY Indonesian citizen, alice or dead, on this thread.
Dead is dead, suffering is suffewring to me, I don't care WHAT religion the dead and suffering follow. Go flame someone else.
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