World leaders in unite in crisis<\/p>\n
Agencies, Jakarta<\/p>\n
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and world leaders
\narrived in Jakarta on Wednesday to try to deal with Asia's
\ntsunami crisis and a US$2.3 billion humanitarian relief
\noperation, the biggest since World War II.<\/p>\n
Annan has called on world leaders to honor their pledge of
\n$2.3 billion in aid, as they gather in Jakarta for a conference
\non Thursday to deal with the Asian tsunami crisis.<\/p>\n
\"I hope all the money will be delivered,\" Annan said in a
\ntelevision interview broadcast on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
As aid workers struggle to feed and shelter millions of
\nsurvivors who are still burying their dead 10 days after a
\ntsunami killed 150,000 people, world leaders will meet on
\nThursday to seek an answer for the question -- how can the world
\nprevent such a catastrophe ever occurring again?<\/p>\n
Indonesia, the worst-hit nation with almost two-thirds of the
\ndead, hopes the one-day summit will agree to set up an Indian
\nOcean tsunami warning system, which experts say could have saved
\nmany lives. The Pacific Ocean has a tsunami warning center.<\/p>\n
Indonesian government will provide 12 units of new BMW 530i to
\nthe heads of states\/governments, who are attending the
\nconference.<\/p>\n
Leaders from 26 nations and humanitarian organizations will
\nalso look at the massive reconstruction needed to rebuild the
\nshattered lives of millions of people in six nations.<\/p>\n
\"Tomorrow's conference is not only for Indonesia but for all
\ncountries that have suffered from the earthquake,\" said
\nIndonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. \"And of course we
\ndo hope that tomorrow there will be a concrete result in the
\nmechanism of how to assist countries that are to be assisted.\"
\nAustralian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said coordinating
\nthe aid effort was a key agenda item.<\/p>\n
\"This will make a major contribution to ensuring there is a
\nbetter coordinated effort and there are stronger contributions
\nthan might be the case without a summit.\"<\/p>\n
But aid groups on Wednesday criticized Indonesia for leaving
\nthem out of a major summit on the tsunami disaster as activists
\nsaid they would stage protests outside the meeting to press their
\nown plans for humanitarian relief.<\/p>\n
The event is the first to try to address the key issues facing
\nthe region as it comes to terms with the carnage unleashed when a
\nmagnitude 9.0 earthquake unleashed destructive ocean forces on
\nshores across Asia.<\/p>\n
But a grouping of non-governmental bodies including the
\nBritish-based Oxfam organization say they regret a decision to
\nbar them from the meeting, denying them the chance to offer input
\ninto how to cope with the disaster that has left at least 145,000
\npeople dead.<\/p>\n
Relief efforts in many countries, particularly Indonesia, have
\nstruggled to reach those desperately in need of food, water and
\nmedical supplies, partly due to logistical confusion in the
\nabsence of a cohesive coordination strategy.<\/p>\n
\"I'm disturbed at not being invited. Since our activists are
\non the ground, they can give accurate assessment of the situation
\nand how to improve the coordination of aid,\" Emmy Hafild,
\nsecretary general of Transparency International Indonesia told
\nAFP.<\/p>\n
Annan is expected to announce a major UN tsunami appeal at the
\nJakarta conference, which will also discuss the possibility of an
\nimmediate freeze of debt payments by affected countries.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/world-leaders-in-unite-in-crisis-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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