More than 150,000 were killed and 500,000 were rendered homeless from the December 26 (2004) tsunami which swept across six Asian nations.

In many other Caribbean countries, governments, the private sector and communities have been involved in similar fund-raising.

This week the Jamaica government set up a special national tsunami aid fund, to which it made an initial contribution of $244, 412 (J$15 million).

Vulnerability

"I appeal to Jamaicans both at home and in the Diaspora to give as generously, as this is truly a global effort," Jamaican prime minister P.J. Patterson said in a statement. "Our common humanity deserves no less."

The issue of a coordinated regional response to the disaster is being discussed this week at a meeting of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Council of Ministers in Georgetown.

In the wake of the devastation, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency (CDERA) said it was having talks with a number of partners including the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, the University of Puerto Rico Seismic Network, the University of the Virgin Islands and the Seismic Research Unit at the University of the West Indies on the establishment of a tsunami early warning system for the Caribbean.

The United Nations also said Wednesday (05 Jan 2005) that it was accelerating efforts to introduce a global system for tsunamis to prevent future earthquakes from causing so much damage and loss of life, but was unable to say when it might be ready.