U.N. Warns Tsunami Death Toll Could Double (300,000)

[Khephra]

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (Reuters) - The United Nations warned on Wednesday Asia's tsunami death toll could double to about 300,000 unless survivors received clean water and other basic services by the end of the week to prevent disease.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, in Indonesia for an emergency international aid summit on Thursday, flew over the worst scenes of devastation and said it was more horrifying than wars he had witnessed during decades as a soldier.

Australia and Germany pledged more than $1 billion in aid, raising the U.N.'s global tally to nearly $3.7 billion, and a debt relief initiative by rich nations gathered momentum. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had sent emergency treatment to the region for diarrheal diseases such as cholera and dysentery but while the aid was reaching many locations, access to safe drinking water remained inadequate.

"If basic needs ... are not urgently restored to all populations by the end of this week, WHO fears that outbreaks of infectious disease could result in a similar number of fatalities as occurred due to the direct impact of the tsunami," the U.N. agency said in a statement on the Internet.

http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7247505

[brainshrub]

1. My God! When will it end?

self deleted.

[Tweed]

2. My thoughts exactly

What a terrible tragedy.

[gardenista]

3. kick for Khephra

[jus_the_facts]

4. Kick...

:cry:

[koneko]

5. Kick!

:kick:

[miss_kitty]

6. kick for Khephra

[struggle4progress]

7. kick

[Misunderestimator]

8. kick

[True_Blue]

9. Khephra

Miss you! :cry:

[DemBones DemBones]

10. A kick for Khephra.

LBN will not be the same without you.

[sonias]

11. kick for humanity

And for Khephra



Sonia

[Scout]

12. kick