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| Friday, 07 January 2005 |
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Jakarta - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) yesterday announced a US$256 million appeal to provide food assistance for over six months for two million people battered and traumatized by an earthquake and tsunami that washed out coastal villages and towns from Asia to Africa. WEP's appeal was launched by WFP Executive Director James Morris in conjunction with an overall appeal on behalf of UN agencies by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for a total of US$ 977 million at an ASEAN leaders' meeting with major donors in Jakarta to spur recovery efforts. Some 169,000 metric tons of food - costing US$ 185 million - will be needed to provide crucial assistance for two million people. In view of the huge difficulties reaching remote areas where infrastructure was destroyed, WFP will use US$ 71 million to boost logistics, transport and communications across the region of the entire humanitarian community - just as it did in Afghanistan and Iraq. "This is more than just a disaster for those countries directly concerned, it is a truly global disaster," said Morris in the Indonesian capital "There are a large number of victims from both rich and poor countries. Billions of people around the world have watched this human tragedy engulfed 10 countries in Asia and Africa. Thankfully, this has drawn the swiftes, most generous donor response in history." As the full horror of the catastrophe unfolded, WFP immediately provided food from stocks already in place in Indonesia and Sri Lanka and brought in new supplies by air, land and sea. WFP food has reached more than 100,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh and North Sumatra provinces. When the tsunami struck, WFP offered assistance to all affected counties. While the needs are greatest in Indonesia, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, WFP is also providing assistance to other countries that suffered loss of life and damage - including Myanmar. In Somalia, nearly 10,000 people have received food since the waves hit the northeast of the country. |
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