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Leaders or their representatives of 26 countries and international organizations attend the opening of the Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on Aftermath Quake and Tsunami Summit at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005. They are meeting here Thursday to discuss the massive relief and reconstruction efforts for the earthquake and tsunami hit countries. (Xinhua Photo/Ma Zhancheng) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (L) greets Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005.  (Xinhua Photo/Tao Ming) Lee Hae-chan, Prime Minister of Republic of Korea (ROK), arrives at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005. (Xinhua Photo/Gong Bing) Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, arrives at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005. (Xinhua Photo/Gong Bing) James D. Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank, arrives at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005.  (Xinhua Photo/Gong Bing) Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi arrives at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005. (Xinhua Photo/Gong Bing) Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai arrives at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005.  (Xinhua Photo/Gong Bing) Australian Prime Minister John Howard arrives at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005. (Xinhua Photo/Gong Bing) Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrives at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia Jan. 6, 2005. (Xinhua Photo/Gong Bing) Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi arrives at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005. (Xinhua Photo/Gong Bing) European Commission (EC) President Jose Manuel Barroso steps into the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia Jan. 6, 2005.  (Xinhua Photo/Gong Bing) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (L) greets Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia Jan. 6, 2005.  (Xinhua Photo/Tao Ming) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (R) greets UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005. (Xinhua Photo/Tao Ming) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (L) greets US Secretary of State Colin Powell at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta.(Xinhua Photo/Tao Ming) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (L) greets James D. Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank, at the Jakarta Convention Centre in Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, Jan. 6, 2005.  (Xinhua Photo/Tao Ming) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (L) greets British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw .(Xinhua Photo/Tao Ming) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (L) greets Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen . (Xinhua Photo/Tao Ming) Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (L) greets Australian Prime Minister John Howard.(Xinhua Photo/Tao Ming)

    JAKARTA, Jan. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Leaders or their representatives of 26 countries and international organizations are meeting here Thursday to discuss the massive relief and reconstruction efforts for the earthquake and tsunami hit countries.

    The one-day Special ASEAN Leaders' Meeting on Aftermath of Earthquake and Tsunami is being held under the auspices of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

    The massive earthquake and the tsunamis that followed on Dec. 26, 2004, have claimed the lives of over 145,000 people in Asia and Africa.

    The heads of state or government, ministers and senior officials of international organizations observed one-minute silence for tsunami victims before heading into discussions to tackle the aftermath of the worst natural disaster in more than 30 years.

    Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made an opening speech in the capacity of chairman of the meeting, calling for more help to children in the affected countries whose lives were heavily affected in the disaster.

    Country delegations led by heads of state or government are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, the Maldives, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam.

    Countries represented by ministers are India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the United States, and Canada.

    The international organizations participating in the summit are the Asian Development Bank, the European Union, the United Nations World Health Organization, the World Bank and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

    Representatives from four European countries -- Britain, Norway, Sweden and the Netherlands -- as well as East Timor are attending the summit as observers.

    United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan said at the opening of the meeting that the tsunami death toll will be likely over 150,000 and there is an immediate need for the disaster survivors.

    Annan said that about 977 million US dollars was immediately needed to cover humanitarian emergency needs for 5 million tsunami disaster survivors over the next six months.

    "We must set the stage for efforts in the longer term, as we move from saving lives to recovery and reconstruction," Annan said.

    He said over 3 billion dollars has been pledged, calling for a quick turn of the pledges into cash.

    "Many of the pledges have come to us in cash and in kind. We need the rest of the pledges to be converted into cash quickly," he said.

    "We also need more people and more materiel to get the aid to those who are most in need, often in remote areas."

    The UN Secretary General said that the Dec. 26 unprecedented natural disaster takes unprecedented global cooperation to cope with, calling the international community to wake from the "nightmare."

    In response to the call for a future tsunami warning system, which is to be discussed at the meeting, Annan said, "Although we were powerless to stop the tsunami, together we have the power to stop those next waves."

    The UN chief also praised the Chinese government for its help to tsunami victims and said that the international community is "grateful".

    He told Xinhua at a press conference that China has donated over 60 million US dollars to the relief and reconstruction efforts undertaken under the helm of his world body.

    In his speech at the opening session of the emergency meeting held under the auspices of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations, Annan said, "The governmental response has been matched by unprecedented generosity from the general public. Consider the six-year-old boy in Shenyang, China, who donated his life savings of 22 dollars."

    China has also sent a 35-member search and rescue team, including a field hospital, to Aceh. The Chinese companies in Indonesia have donated 131,000 US dollars in cash and 880,000 US dollars worth of goods and equipment to the tsunami victims in Aceh and North Sumatra. Enditem