News Releases

The day after the tsunami rendered impassable the main southern road between Bentota and Matara, a Japanese contractor working on an ADB project diverted its resources to clearing the vital highway and allowing aid relief to reach affected areas more quickly.

Addressing a press conference today in Banda Aceh, ADB President Tadao Chino stated, "I am deeply overwhelmed by the pain and suffering and devastation that I saw during the Aceh visit." He said Aceh is the worst hit province by the earthquake and tsunami tidal wave.

ADB and its development partners will tomorrow begin sending out teams of experts to assess the extent of damage brought about by the tsunami, a process that will lead to a plan for reconstruction in Indonesia, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. ADB has pledged up to $675 million to help reconstruction efforts in the three countries.

ADB is now prepared to provide an additional $500 million in support for three of the countries affected by the December earthquake and tsunami disaster, President Tadao Chino told the ASEAN Leaders' Special Meeting today.

ADB and the Government of Indonesia yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the framework for ADB's emergency assistance to the country following the tsunami disaster on 26 December.

ADB announced that up to $325 million will be made immediately available in response to requests from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Maldives to help finance priority reconstruction and rehabilitation work following the tsunami disaster on Sunday.