Mr. Speaker, a year and a half after the Christmas 2004 tsunami that caused hundreds of thousands of deaths in many areas surrounding the Bay of Bengal, Indonesia has been struck by another tragedy.
Last Saturday, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale shook the island where Jakarta is located, causing more than 5,000 deaths, according to initial reports.
Unfortunately, that number is likely to rise since it is very difficult, if not impossible, to access most of the villages that were most seriously damaged by the earthquake.
In addition to the 5,000 deaths, more than 20,000 people have been injured and 200,000 have been left homeless.
Unlike what happened after the 2004 tsunami, we hope that the aid promised by the international community will reach the people who need it and that it will bring some relief to their suffering so that they may resume their normal lives as soon as possible.