Two million new poor from Asian tsunamis: ADB

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MANILA, (AFP) - Two million more Asians have joined the ranks of the poor following the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster even though the overall impact on the economies of the affected countries looks small, the Asian Development Bank said.

The bank warned that it could take the affected populations many years to recover from poverty. It urged governments to ensure tsunami relief funds are not frittered away through corruption.

A great earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richter scale ripped up the ocean floor near the Indonesian island of Sumatra on December 26, triggering giant waves that swamped 11 countries.

The waves and the temblor wiped out coastal communities, killing more than 273,000 people.

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