Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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August 23, 2007

APEC Beefs Up Disaster Responses at Australia Conference
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=18E8813:A6F02AD83191E160760F04FF86D17AF09574F7DCC14957C0 Australian
officials say in 2005 over 90 percent of those killed from natural
disasters were in APEC region





Relatives of patients look on as they sit outside a hospital in Dhaka,
Bangladesh, 19 Aug 2007An APEC conference in northern Australia has
unveiled a multi-million dollar aid package for disaster-hit regions.
Australian officials say that in 2005 over 90 percent of those killed
from natural disasters were in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) region. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

Delegates at the three-day meeting were told that members of the Asia
Pacific Economic Cooperation group suffer more from natural disasters
than any other region.

Seven in 10 of those killed by storms, earthquakes and tsunamis since
2000 lived in APEC member countries.

Officials from the United Nations have reported that serious flooding
across Asia and South America was a reminder that the number of
extreme events had risen in recent times.

The disaster experts from 21 countries have spent the past few days
looking at ways to reduce the damage from natural disasters and to
speed up emergency services after a disaster strikes.

Australia and Indonesia chaired the meeting of APEC emergency experts
in the Australian city of Cairns. The two countries cooperated closely
after the Asian tsunami in December 2004.

The conference has also looked at ways to prepare for the threat of
terrorism.

Australian Attorney General Philip Ruddock says the attacks in Britain
in July 2005 showed that careful disaster planning helped the
authorities to cope better.

"When they had the London bombing the people who were responsible for
dealing with those emergencies had been undertaking exercises only the
day or so before," said Ruddock. "The fact that they had been
exercising and practicing and working out how they would respond to an
emergency that like if it did arise meant that they were able to
handle it much more efficiently and effectively."

Australia will contribute an extra $12 million to help with regional
disaster relief and management.

The meeting in Cairns included representatives from the 21 governments
that form the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.

The forum accounts for roughly half the world's trade.

Members include China, Japan, United States and a host of smaller
economies from Asia and Latin America.

Australia's biggest city, Sydney, will hold the annual APEC leaders'
summit in early September.


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