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03 January 2004
By Reuters
COLOMBO, Jan 3 (Reuters) - The low-lying
Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives
said on Monday it was struggling to house
five percent of its population after tsunami
waves destroyed islands and resorts, killing
at least 82 people.
"In 14 islands there are no structures
standing and in other islands even where
walls are still standing they are not habitable," chief
government spokesman Ahmed Shaheed told Reuters.
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Maldives
struggles to house thousands after
tsunami |
The chain of 1,200 tiny palm-fringed coral
islands dotted across 500 miles of ocean
off the toe of India and standing only a
few feet (barely a metre) above sea level
was severely affected by the tsunami, forcing
the government to declare a state of emergency
and appeal for immediate international aid.
Shaheed said 14 islands had been flattened
and another 53 severely affected, leaving
some 15,000 people displaced out of the country's
300,000 population.
The Maldives has received some $3 million
so far in aid from Pakistan, India, Japan
and other nations to help rebuilding work
estimated at $1 billion.
"There is a massive international effort
here, but this does not solve the main problem
of housing. We are looking at building 4,000
houses from scratch," Shaheed said.
He said the cost of housing alone would
be about $70 million.
Many schools, jetties, ports and other coastal
structures have also been destroyed. The
archipelago is also running out of drinking
water and a few cases of diarrhoea have been
reported in some camps for the homeless.
"About 79 islands don't have safe drinking
water," he said.
The government delayed a parliamentary election
scheduled for last week after the tsunami
struck.
Meanwhile, the Maldives was keeping an eye
out for dead bodies and debris from other
disaster-hit countries being washed ashore,
posing a possible health threat to its people.
"Given the scale of the devastation,
carcasses, parts of boats, timber and other
debris is likely to get washed onto our shores
from nearby countries," Shaheed said.
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