World leaders prepare for tsunami relief summit

World leaders and aid workers were preparing today to co-ordinate the distribution of billions of dollars in aid to countries hit by the worst natural disaster in decades.

They also will discuss setting up a warning system so a future tsunami won’t leave tens of thousands dead on the Indian Ocean’s shores.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and US Secretary of State Colin Powell were among the officials expected in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, for a summit tomorrow on the tsunami relief.

About €1.4bn has already been pledged from around the world to help the millions of victims rebuild from the December 26 tsunami. Nearly 150,000 people were killed when a 9.0 magnitude earthquake rattled the ocean floor and sent massive waves crashing across beachfront communities from southern Asia to Africa.

The United Nations has performed rapid assessments in countries hit by the tsunami, and tomorrow’s meeting aims to get donors to commit to specific aid and reconstruction projects, said Bo Asplund, UN representative in Indonesia.

Topping the list of demands is Indonesia, Asplund said, with some $450m (€339m) required under a UN appeal for the country that suffered at least 94,200 deaths – the most of any nation.

Bringing together representatives of all the affected countries will allow aid officials to get commitments for relief for at least the next six months, said Michael Elmquist, who is heading the UN aid efforts in Indonesia’s hard-hit Aceh province.

The countries also hope to prevent similar disasters in the future by creating a warning system for tsunamis in the Indian Ocean.

“The best way of serving the memory of those who perished in the tragedy is to make sure that future generations are in safer hands,” said Ignacio Bunye, spokesman for Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was attending the summit.

Another issue on the agenda will be possible debt relief to affected countries, many of which are developing nations that rely on international assistance.

Security for the arriving dignitaries was also a concern, with Indonesia home to the al-Qaida-allied terror group Jemaah Islamiyah that has been blamed for three major bombings in the past couple years.

Some 8,000 police and soldiers were being deployed in Jakarta, said Major General Johni Yojatna, deputy chief of security affairs at the national police. “We have not yet received any information of reports on possible disturbances or terror actions,” he said.

Indonesian forces had been on high alert around the New Year’s holiday at churches, malls and hotels due to warnings of a planned terrorist attack.

“We’re ready to host the summit,” Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said today.