Tsunami support - Countries must honour aid pledges

SIX months after 300,000 people died when a deadly tsunami devastated countries around the Indian Ocean, it appears painfully clear that only a fraction of the urgently needed reconstruction work has been carried out.

It will take at least another five years to complete the task. And the final bill could run to €7.5 billion.

Ireland has contributed generously to help shattered communities, but with houses and roads to be rebuilt, and a whole new generation of orphans starting from scratch, it is frustrating that countries have failed to honour their pledges of financial aid.