In his speech at the Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting following the aftermath of the Earthquake and Tsunami, the President of Maldives, His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, appealed for urgent assistance for reconstruction and recovery. He said that the tsunami had, within a matter of minutes, destroyed much of the infrastructure built over two decades of development in the Maldives.

He noted that the Government's priorities were to rehabilitate the lives and livelihoods of tsunami victims, provide shelter to internally displaced persons, reconstruct and repair social and economic infrastructure, and generate economic recovery to pre-tsunami levels.

Safe water supply must be further improved. Sanitation infrastructure is disjointed, particularly in the area of disposal of sewage and disinfection of living spaces contaminated by waste. No outbreaks reported. From December 26 until January 8, the following cumulative number of cases was officially reported as follows: D iarrh o ea (469), V iral F ever (395), Acute Respiratory Infections (130).

For further information please visit the official website of the National Disaster Management Centre in Maldives http://www.tsunamimaldives.mv/