The confirmed death toll from the Indian Ocean earthquake continues to rise more than a week after the disaster first hit. According to the United Nations, nearly 140,000 people have died and officials say that number is likely to rise well above 150,000. The worst-hit country to date is Indonesia, whose government now says more than 94,000 people have died. In Aceh, the most devastated area under Indonesian control, the situation remains extremely dire with humanitarian officials accusing the military of preventing aid distribution. In a moment, we will hear from an Acehnese human rights activist.

Meanwhile in Sri Lanka — the hardest-hit nation after Indonesia — aid efforts have been hampered by continuing heavy rains and flash flooding. But the BBC is reporting that in the main town under rebel control in the north of the country, Tamil Tiger rebels have set up a joint task force with the government to try to oversee aid distribution. In India’s remote Andaman and Nicobar islands, survivors are being inoculated against cholera and typhoid to prevent the spread of disease. But in some islands riots have been reported, stemming from what many believe is a slow pace of the aid effort, where Delhi is anxious to control access by aid groups due to the presence of an Indian air force base.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said over the weekend it could take more than a decade for areas hit by the Tsunami to recover. Annan will travel to Indonesia on January 6 to take part in a meeting of world leaders to discuss further aid. The United Nations says $2 billion has now been raised in aid for the victims, including up to $500 million in emergency assistance pledged by Japan. US Secretary of State General Colin Powell and Florida governor Jeb Bush are touring the region as representatives of the Bush administration.