Saturday, January 8 2005 13:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hambantota (Sri Lanka): UN chief Kofi Annan today (Jan 8, 2005) pledged support for the reconstruction of Sri Lanka's battered coastlines as he toured areas of the island ravaged by the December 26 tsunami.

"This is a beautiful country but I am sorry for the people who suffered this destruction. (The UN) will try to reconstruct it as much as possible," the UN secretary general said on landing by helicopter in this badly-damaged town on Sri Lanka's east coast.

On his arrival, he was met by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and World Bank president James Wolfensohn.

During their tour of the town, their motorcade stopped at Galwella Buddhist temple, where Annan spoke to monks about the devastation wrought by the earthquake-triggered tsunamis.

He later drove to the Tabeer Jumma mosque in the town where 80 tsunami-affected Muslim, Hindu and Christian families are housed, while thousands of other people had also gathered to see the secretary general.

At the camp Annan met the tsunami victims and posed for photographs with three orphan children who lost their parents in the giant sea waves and have since stayed at the mosque which is doubling up as a relief camp.

Here he met clerics from the three religions who briefed him on the overall conditions of the people in the camp.

Annan also spoke to the head of the camp and enquired about the availability of food and was informed that there was a steady supply.

After the brief stopover at the camp the UN chief headed to the Government agent's office in the town.