Tsunami Commemoration Attended by 14 European Envoys

Banda Aceh, Aceh Darussalam (Antara) - Some 14 European Union ambassadors to Indonesia attended the 10th commemoration of the tsunami organized here on Friday. Deputy ambassadors of the European Union to Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, and ASEAN were also present during the event, Stelita Ladia Marsha, the communication staff of the European Union office, stated here on Friday. "After attending the ceremony, the deputy ambassadors of the European Union will visit some regions that had been devastated by the tsunami," she revealed. The 14 ambassadors attending the commemoration included those from Germany, Slovak, Belgium, Denmark, Britain, Sweden, Ireland, Turkey, and Norway. The European Union has been actively involved in the rehabilitation and reconstruction program of Aceh after the tsunami, by providing assistance worth two billion euros, including 566 million euros for humanitarian aid and one billion euros for the long-term reconstruction program. The 10th Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster Commemoration themed "Let's Build a Better Aceh with Heart" focuses on reflection, appreciation, and awakening. Vice President Jusuf M. Kalla led the commemoration attended by some one thousand people, including several ministers and foreign ambassadors. The deadly tsunami was triggered by a powerful earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter Scale that caused faults as long as 1.2 thousand kilometers from Aceh to the Andaman Islands, India. According to data received from the Aceh provincial administration, the tsunami killed 126,741 people, rendered 93,285 people missing, 500 thousand homeless, and nearly 750 thousand people became unemployed. The tsunami, which is the most devastating one in living memory, affected 18 countries in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa, killed more than 250 thousand people in a single day, and left more than 1.7 million people homeless. Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Maldives, Bangladesh, Somalia, and Tanzania were among the 18 countries affected by the tsunami. (*)