Tsunami aid tolats $6.28 billion, Germany largest donor: UN<\/p>\n
Jerry Norton, Reuters\/Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Humanitarian assistance to tsunami-affected countries in the
\nIndian Ocean totals US$6.28 billion, with Germany the largest
\ncontributor at $683 million, the United Nations said on Friday.<\/p>\n
But if the United States follows through on a pledge to
\nincrease its contribution, it will become the biggest donor, said
\nHiro Ueki, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of
\nHumanitarian Assistance.<\/p>\n
\"As it stands now, Germany is the largest contributor of
\nhumanitarian assistance to the tsunami-affected countries in the
\nIndian Ocean, with a total of $683 million, followed by the Asian
\nDevelopment Bank,\" Ueki said.<\/p>\n
\"The grand total is $6.28 billion,\" he told a news conference
\nin Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
The city is capital of Aceh province, on the northern tip of
\nSumatra island, where the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunami it
\ntriggered killed at least 123,938 people, and left an estimated
\n112,319 missing, and nearly 401,000 homeless.<\/p>\n
For the Indian Ocean region as a whole, where Sri Lanka, India
\nand Thailand were the other countries hardest hit, the toll of
\ndead and missing is more than 305,200, according to the latest
\ndata.<\/p>\n
Ueki said behind Germany and the ADB are private donations,
\nJapan, the European Commission, France, Australia, the United
\nStates and Canada.<\/p>\n
But he said the United States would become top contributor
\nwhen it confirmed its promised increase.<\/p>\n
The United States said this month it would add $600 million to
\nan original pledge, bringing the total for U.S. relief efforts to
\nmore than $950 million.<\/p>\n
Australia has pledged A$1.0 billion (US$765 million) over five
\nyears to Indonesian for tsunami reconstruction in the single
\nlargest aid contribution it has ever made.<\/p>\n
Ueki said $721 million, or 84 percent, of the money promised
\nby governments to meet a special UN \"Flash Appeal\" for six months
\nhad been paid or committed for payment, with private
\ncontributions accounting for another $63 million. The appeal's
\ntarget is $979 million.<\/p>\n
Asked about the impact on the UN's aid effort in Aceh of
\nrecent reports of security threats, Ueki said there had been no
\ndirect effect.<\/p>\n
\"We continue to maintain our security measures and we are
\naware of the environment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Australia warned late last week of fresh information about
\npossible danger to foreigners in Aceh, a threat the commander of
\nits military units helping in the aid effort said he took very
\nseriously.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's government reported an attack by separatist rebels
\nlast Sunday on soldiers working to repair tsunami-damaged roads,
\nwith one soldier killed.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has been fighting the separatist Free Aceh Movement
\nfor nearly three decades. Fresh negotiations between the rebels
\nand the government took place in Finland this week but the talks
\nhave failed to produce a settlement.<\/p>",
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