Trust fund money on tsunami disbursed

United Nations, Dec 19: Almost all the money deposited into a UN trust fund with a view to helping in recovery in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 has been distributed, according to a report released by the UN humanitarian branch.

The report, issued yesterday, by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, found the Tsunami Trust Fund -- set up to manage contributions set aside for recovery and reconstruction operations -- received almost 75 million dollars through fiscal year 2005-06.

More than 72 million dollars of those funds have been allocated to 67 projects involving 14 UN agencies, programmes or departments in seven countries, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters yesterday.

The Fund, under the supervision of the UN Controller, received contributions from about 60 public and private donors.

More than 230,000 people died across the Indian Ocean region when the tsunami struck on December 26, 2004 in the hours after a massive earthquake off the Indonesian coast.

UNI