United Nations Radio

Aid is now getting through to survivors on the Indonesian island of Sumatra as the United Nations steps up its unprecedented relief operation in South Asia.

But the UN warns that starvation, injury and disease are pushing massive numbers of refugees in the province of Aceh on Sumatra closer to death every minute. UNICEF's communications director John Budd says indications are that the disaster is going to be a lot worse that already anticipated. He says there's a desperate shortage of food and fuel across the province and the UN is trying desperately to ease the situation. Mr. Budd says up to 500-thousand people are extremely vulnerable because of a lack of shelter, while 900-thousand children are suffering from a combination of illness, injury, trauma, separation from families and being orphaned.