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.
400k is the projection after adding in the 2 towns that sound like they were utterly destroyed. The official number is already around 140k confirmed dead.
Sad, sad, sad. I have trouble reading many of the stories.
This is Indonesia ALONE. This is not including the death toll in Sri Lanka and elsewhere.
Don't forget, with the spectre of disease to follow, the numbers could easily mount one million either directly or indirectly killed by this tsunami.
Horror of horrors.
Because we're better than Islamonazis.
We're human beings. The victims of the tsunami are human beings. We have the capability, and it's the proper, Christian thing to do.
}:-)4
Merry Christmas, Satan. Feeling the schadenfreude, eh?
Aceh, I think, was the closest populated area to the epicenter of that 9.0 earthquake, less than 200 miles away...so they got the double whammy, the biggest earthquake in 40 years AND the tsunami.
}:-)4
Understand and share the sentiment (kinda) but we know what's right and do it.
Call OBL to see if it's okay to take aid from the "infidels".
How long before they are protesting in the streets for us to leave. How long before their suicide bombers target our men?
Don't think that our humanitarian aid is going to change anything, it's not.
I live in Singapore and we felt the tremor..I am originally from Los Angeles, as is my mom who was visiting.
I got on the computer and well...
We have friends, good friends with children, vacationing in Phuket....we have not heard from them.
We are devasted in Singapore and we know that we will never be the same.
Pray for us.
Pray for us.
Pray for the dying, the living, and the dead.
Since Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world, do you suppose Saudi Arabia, et al., will move a little of the oil wealth they currently invest in Madrassas to relief aid for their devastated, fellow Muslim country?
Yes...Every one of these poor souls was a "Islamopig". Even the children and non-muslims!!
That wave hit the wrong people.
& how different does that make you from them???
Most Indonesians are pragmatic Muslims who want to get on with their lives who follow a more palatable form of Islam,unlike their cousins in the Persian Gulf & Pakistan(BTW,aren't those very nations American allies!!)
Yep-a lot of Arab nations are sending aid.Saudi Arabia,Iran,the UAE etc have all pledged millions.
huh??
Please speak for yourself.
One doesn't have to be Christian in order to help others and/or NOT act like a pig on a message board.
Our prayers have been lifted daily. It is overwhelming to see the tragedy of all these ruined lives. It's too late to pray for the dead. Money is nothing, when you see how quickly life can end... but now, many of the survivors have little family left, as well.
God will comfort, and God will provide, through His....
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