The UN on Wednesday launched an initial appeal to donors for 130 million dollars (95 million euros) for the immediate needs of victims in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Maldives.

But the Geneva conference will follow up on a much bigger appeal to be launched on January 6 in New York, the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a written statement.

TOKYO, Jan 1 (AFP) - Japan on Saturday promised 500 million dollars to countries devastated by tsunamis, by far outpledging all other countries which are racing to help victims of one of the world's worst disasters.

The Japanese contribution raises to more than 1.6 billion dollars the money raised for relief and reconstruction from massive seismic waves, which have claimed nearly 126,000 lives.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Japan, Asia's largest economy, would consider more assistance both in money and expertise.

"Japan will provide assistance to

Outbreaks of cholera and dysentery especially in the Indonesian region of Aceh in northern Sumatra raised fears that the total death toll for the 12 countries hit by the disaster - already expected to reach 150,000 - could rise even further. About 100,000 were believed killed in Indonesia alone, the U.N. had said Friday.

Meanwhile, world leaders and international

UNITED NATIONS, Jan 1 (AFP) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan could visit Indonesia this week as the international relief effort for Asia's tsunami victims nears two billion dollars in aid, UN officials said on Saturday.

"International compassion has never, ever been like this," said Jan Egeland, the UN undersecretary general for emergency relief, who is helping to coordinate what may be the largest such effort in history.

He said pledges have been recorded of two billion dollars although another official said that figure was an approximation

Save the Children Response

155 Save the Children Staff are working in Sri Lanka.

• The distribution of dry food rations to 37,000 families in the worst affected areas of the country including Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Matara, Galle, Jaffna, Ampara and Vanni is ongoing. The distribution also includes household consumables such as mosquito coils and basic personal items such as soap and items of clothing.
  
• A Charter flight will depart from UK on Sunday 2nd January sending large tents suitable for creating child friendly

SPECIAL SITREP- 14
1600 hrs. 01.01.05

NAGAPATTINAM, Tamil Nadu, India, 1 January 2005 - Two truckloads of water tanks provided by UNICEF were driven into the tsunami wrecked district of Nagapattinam, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Supplying clean drinking water to hundreds of women and children who are crowded in relief camps is a crucial task, as water sources have already been polluted by piles of garbage nearby.

District administration, along with help from municipal workers, has begun installing the fifteen tanks amongst relief camps. "Our daily supply of water was just 500 ml per person

That was more than all of the pledges to all humanitarian appeals in 2004 combined, Jan Egeland, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, told a press briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.

The international compassion had never ever been like this, Mr. Egeland said, noting that Japan's extremely generous