Letter from the Editor

Extraordinarily, exactl y one year after a devastating earthquake struck Bam in Iran on 26 December 2003 , nature again demonstrated her strength even more powerfully in the shocking tsunami in Asia which killed 300 000 people and displaced millions. A disaster on such a scale is difficult to comprehend and we grieve for those who lost their lives, their loved ones, their homes. Although it is hard to see anything positive in this tragedy, the immediate and generous global response from countries, communities and individuals was heartening. WHO has worked together with national and local authorities, other international organizations and NGOs to get medical and logistic staff and supplies to areas where they are most urgently need ed. WHO has also outlined 5 key task areas which will be the focus of the Organization s work for the coming months, namely disease surveillance, long-term technical support, assessment and rehabilitation of health ser vices, strengthening of the health supply chain and support of the coordi nation of medical and other relief staff.