GENEVA, Switzerland, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- United Nations chief, Kofi Annan, is expected to launch in Jakarta Thursday a flash consolidated appeal for nearly $1 billion in aid to assist the millions devastated by the Tsunami disaster, during a world leaders summit on relief, senior diplomatic sources said.
The same sources said the appeal is aimed at securing immediate funds to meet the operational needs of U.N. humanitarian efforts for the next six months. This is in addition to the money already pledged toward various relief and aid efforts by many of the world's governments.
An international conference to raise funds for reconstruction in the tsunami-hit nations will probably be held in spring, sources said.
Ahead of the Indonesian high level meeting, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday it needs $60 million "to address urgent public health needs, most importantly in preventing outbreaks of water-borne and other infectious diseases."
Dr Lee Jong-wook, WHO director-general said in Jakarta Wednesday "we now estimate that as many as 150,000 people are at extreme risk if a major outbreak in the affected areas occurs. The most urgent need now is to make sure everyone has access to safe drinking water."
The U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) which is helping an estimated one and a half million children caught up in the unprecedented disaster in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, The Maldives, Thailand, Somalia, and other countries, is seeking $120 million.
In addition, the world refugee agency, UNHCR, is looking at securing between $55-$60 million for relief operations now underway, and the World Food Program (WFP) said it needs $256 million to help it feed nearly two million disaster affected people, many of them children.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) which is also active on the ground in all the affected countries is seeking $72 million.
But aside of the U.N. flash appeal, President George W. Bush has earmarked $350 million in aid for the tsunami disaster, and Japan, $500 million.
And on Wednesday, Australia's Prime Minister, John Howard, announced his government would contribute $A1 billion ($765 million) of new money to assist Indonesia's Tsunami devastated areas.
Howard said the new money would consist of equal parts of grant assistance and highly concessional financing -- which includes "$A500 million interest free for up to 40 years with no repayment of principal for ten years.".
Other big contributors include the European Union, which had as of Jan-.4 firm commitments for $356 million and pledges for $581 million.
Among the multilateral Financial Institutions, The World Bank has committed $250 million, the Asian Development Bank, $325 million, and the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) managing director, Rodrigo de Rato -- who will be taking part in the Jakarta meeting -- said on Jan. 5, that emergency financing "on the order of most of the $1 billion for the most affected countries, could be made available quickly and without an IMF program."
But the spontaneous outpouring of support by private individuals, charities, and corporate conglomerates, augers well providing the pledges made are honored fully, say U.N. humanitarian officials.
Christiane Berthiaume, WFP spokeswoman, told UPI "we expect to raise 10 per cent of what we need from the private sector."
The WFP official said Spencer Stewart -- a leading U.S. privately held global executive firm -- has made a donation in cash and employees of the firm are raising fundraising for the agency.
The Australian Wheat Board has also provided a donation in cash and is helping secure other food commodities for the WFP, she said, and added the TNT freight forwarding group has also provided cash and logistics support to the food agency.
The international food giant, Uniliver, Berthiaume said, has also provided a donation in cash and made a fleet of trucks available.
Ron Redmond, UNHCR spokesman, told UPI the Dutch carrier KLM is carrying stockpiles to Jakarta against cost for the agency.
"That's extremely helpful," he said.
Other corporate groups making generous contributions to UNHCR include the employees of the U.S. based Mandalay pictures, and Shneider Electric of France has provided 200,000 euro's, and directed staff in the tsunami region to provide technical assistance.
Meanwhile, Maersk Sealand, one of the world's largest liner shipping companies, has offered the use of a 200 container ship to support humanitarian operations to transport goods from Jakarta to Aceh province -- the most affected area where the deadly tsunami waves claimed tens of thousand of lives.
Separately, across the globe small, medium and large corporations are increasingly announcing tsunami relief initiatives.
On Wednesday, United Airlines announced a series of initiatives to assist in the tsunami relief effort. These included the donation of available cargo space to haul relief supplies to southern Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and other coastal areas in the Indian Ocean impacted by the disaster.
United announced it will also help relief organizations "transport doctors and other health care workers to the region."
In a related development, Metlife also on Jan. 5 announced it will make a $1 million contribution to the American Red Cross's International Response Fund to help in the relief efforts in the Tsunami hit countries.
Life sciences companies have also come forward with big contributions.
On Jan. 3 Amgen Inc, a California based global biotechnology company said it provided a cash contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, to be used in relief efforts including support for field hospitals and delivery of emergency supplies.
Amgen said it would also match staff contributions for tsunami relief efforts "dollar for dollar."
Pfizer, however, made one of the earliest corporate pledges.
On Dec. 29 announced it will donate $10 million to local and international relief organizations including the American Red Cross/International Red Cross, Catholic Relief, Care and UNICEF, among others.
Pfizer also said it will also donate "approximately $25 million worth of company healthcare products, which includes anti-infective products."
The Swiss based Zurich Financial services Group also announced on Jan. 4 it will provide up to $2 million towards the tsunami catastrophe.
This will consist of a donation of $1 million, and in addition the group said it would match up to $1 million contributions made by staff.
