United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan toured Indonesia's tsunami-ravaged Aceh province Friday, where he witnessed "miles and miles of destroyed shoreline" and saw the U.N. relief effort that is delivering aid to up to a million homeless survivors. Annan took a ride in a Singaporean helicopter over the devastated west coast of Sumatra island and was later scheduled to drive through the provincial capital, Banda Aceh. "It's a tragic event. We've seen miles and miles of destroyed shoreline," Annan told reporters in Meulaboh. "I was shocked by the water destruction." Up to 100,000 people are feared dead on Sumatra island, killed by the Dec. 26 quake and tsunami that flattened vast areas of Aceh, a restive province on the island's northern tip. The total killed in 11 nations is expected to far exceed 150,000, the United Nations says. Annan's visit came the day after he urged donor nations to quickly transform billions of dollars in aid pledges into cash to help bankroll the relief effort. After touching down in Banda Aceh, Annan spoke with Indonesia's Welfare Minister Alwi Shihad about the situation in the shattered region. World Bank President James Wolfensohn also was traveling with Annan and separately, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi flew into Banda Aceh to survey the damage. Wolfensohn said he estimated the World Bank's contribution to the international relief effort could eventually reach US$1 billion (¤760 million).
