Even as the emergency response gains momentum, discussion of the medium
and long-term reconstruction of the area has begun and will likely continue at
international meetings and within the U.S. government. Preliminary damage
assessments are underway in the affected countries. Experts had already estimated
the total damage to the region in the billions of dollars. In Indonesia, a joint report
issued by the government of Indonesia and the international donor community
estimates that the total cost of damages and losses is $4.45 billion.15 SecretaryGeneral
Kofi Annan said it could take ten years to bring parts of the region back to
full capacity