• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Tsunami Death Toll Soars Over 100,000

30 December 2004 -- The death toll from the Asian tsunami disaster has now risen to over 100,000 people.

Indonesia today sharply increased the death toll for its devastated Aceh Province to almost 80,000 people, from an earlier figure of some 52,000.

News agencies report this has pushed the overall total in almost a dozen Indian Ocean countries to more than 114,000.

A massive international aid effort is underway, but the United Nations says that not enough of the assistance is reaching the needy as yet. Some 5 million people are estimated to require help.

Meanwhile, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono today said Indonesia is trying to prevent an epidemic from spreading in the wake of the disaster.

"We work our hardest in trying to prevent an epidemic from spreading. There is great concern about the situation in Banda Aceh and Meulaboh, which are prone to environmental and health hazards. All the necessary steps will be taken, including building mobile hospitals," Yudhoyono said.

Aftershocks, rumors, and a new tsunami warning from Indian government officials have added to the chaos in the region as survivors become increasingly threatened by thirst, hunger, panic and disease.

(compiled from wire reports)

Copyright (c) 2004. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org