United Nations Radio

There's been quick reaction from United Nations officials to the disaster.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan says,"the United Nations stands ready to provide the assistance necessary to meet the needs created by the natural disasters."
The head of the UN children's agency (UNICEF), Carol Bellamy, says the agency is "supporting governments in their damage assessments, and is prepared to respond wherever help is needed." Meanwhile, UNICEF's Communications Officer, Martin Doss, says the agency's offices have been mobilized in various parts of Sri Lanka to assist the government:

"We are very concerned in all these areas about the welfare of people who have survived whether they are getting clean water. We are worried about the risk of disease, the children in these circumstances are especially vulnerable to disease."