Jan. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Some Indonesian survivors of the earthquake and tsunamis that killed 150,000 people in 11 countries six days ago are dying as undistributed piles of food and medicine stack up at airports, relief workers said.

``Some patients we treated died of hypothermia, or low body temperature, after no food for days,'' Jose Rizal, a doctor with the Jakarta-based Medical Emergency Rescue Committee said today in a phone interview, after returning from Banda Aceh, capital of the worst-stricken province. ``Distribution is a problem, and rains are making things worse.''

Relief agencies from around the world are accelerating efforts to reach an estimated 5 million survivors in countries from Indonesia to the east coast of Africa. Japan pledged $500 million in aid, after the U.S. raised its contribution to $350 million from $35 million and China increased its pledge 23-fold to $60 million. Combined aid from 44 nations is $2 billion.

U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair said today the 50 million pounds ($96 million) of aid pledged by his government may be increased. ``We have months if not years of work ahead of us,'' Blair said of reconstruction efforts in an interview broadcast by Channel 4 News.

``Not only is it the biggest outpouring of relief ever in the shortest period of time, but I hope it is the best coordinated effort in a short period of time,'' United Nations emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland said today at a press briefing in New York.

Jakarta Summit

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Australia Prime Minister John Howard, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Hae Chan and Singapore Premier Lee Hsien Loong said they will attend a Jan. 6 tsunami summit in Jakarta. Indonesia has invited 17 nations and representatives of the European Union, United Nations, World Health Organization and other bodies to attend.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will attend, ABC News in the U.S. reported, and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark has accepted Indonesia's invitation, Deutsche Presse- Agentur reported. The ministry in Jakarta hasn't disclosed the guest list for the conference.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Governor Jeb Bush, brother of U.S. President George W. Bush, are expected to visit devastated areas this week, Agence France-Presse reported, citing unidentified State Department officials. There has been no U.S. statement on whether they will attend the summit.

Monsoon Rains

Aceh province, the area closest to the epicenter of the Dec. 26, magnitude-9 quake that triggered the world's worst natural disaster in a generation, has been drenched by monsoon rains that washed out roads needed to carry relief, aid agencies said. Meteorologist Achmad Zakir in Jakarta said he expects the tropical downpour will continue for several more days.

The overall number of dead from the quake and tsunamis, estimated at 150,000 by Egeland, would make the Asia quake the worst natural disaster since the 1976 Tangshan earthquake that killed more than 250,000 people.

About 80,000 people were killed in Aceh on the north of Sumatra island, more than double the deaths of all other affected 10 nations combined. A two-lane road links the provincial capital Banda Aceh with the region's only working airport in Medan.

``Aid is piled up at Aceh airport and in Medan,'' Rizal said today. ``The problem is not enough people to carry them and not enough vehicles. Bodies are everywhere. People are traumatized. The air they breathe is filled with mud. We can't treat them if they are starving.''

Sri Lanka

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visited Banda Aceh today, urging rescue workers to step up their efforts. ``Quickly channel this aid,'' he said. ``Do your job. We must save each one out there.''

Relief workers in the country are facing difficulties reaching survivors in remote areas.

``Every day, every hour more people are being found and treated,'' William Hyde, emergency relief coordinator for the International Organization of Migration, said in a phone interview from Jakarta. ``The ones that are in more remote locations or that haven't been located yet are certainly more at risk.''

Bad weather, damaged roads, broken bridges and lack of coordination also are slowing the flow of aid in Sri Lanka, the second worst-affected country with more than 28,000 people killed and 604,000 left homeless.

Scabies, Pneumonia

``They are doing their best but there can be instances where they are delayed because certain roads and bridges have been damaged,'' said Milindu de Silva, a volunteer at the Search and Rescue Desk at the Center for National Operations in Colombo said today. ``They have to take a circuitous route and there are not enough helicopters.''

U.S. State Department spokesman Lou Fintor said the U.S. is using 80 trucks to ferry aid into Banda Aceh. Eight planes are shuttling into and out of Sri Lanka, he said.

``The U.S.S. Lincoln helicopters are in the air and flying in and out'' of stricken areas, Fintor said. ``Deliveries of food and supplies are under way.'' He said U.S. C-130 aircraft are ``flying into the hardest-hit areas to bring food and water.''

A press release on the Web site of the U.S. Navy Command in Japan said 12 ships will support the U.S. relief efforts. Six of them can support 15,000 Marines for 30 days with food, fuel, medical supplies and power generating, hospital and other equipment, it said. The squadron's water purification units can make 600 gallons of drinking water from seawater per hour, the statement said.

Transport Problems

``There are basically transport problems,'' said Dr. Shan Perera, a senior medical officer at Apollo Hospital in Colombo, overseeing the loading of medicine including cough syrup onto vans bound for tsunami-hit Hambantota in the island's south.

Diseases such as diarrhea, scabies, lung infections and pneumonia have been reported, he said. ``Definitely, there will be waterborne diseases in time to come,'' Perera said.

Rain and flooding are complicating efforts, said Martin Dawes, a spokesman for United Nations Children's Fund in Colombo.

``The weather forecast is for more rain,'' Dawes said. ``The main concern is that if the conditions breed diseases in the camps. We've had 15 medical kits, which can supply 150,000 people, get through on Wednesday and they're already on the road. Three are stuck on the way to Matara in the south because of flash floods.''

Flooding

Makeshift camps housing survivors in the eastern district of Ampara were hit by flash floods after storms dumped 330 millimeters (13 inches) of rain, AFP said.

India, where 8,942 are confirmed dead and 3,874 are missing, has refused international aid. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a 5 billion-rupee ($116 million) package of aid for initial relief work in four southern states hit by tsunamis.

To contact the reporters on this story: Naila Firdausi in Jakarta at nfirdausi@bloomberg.net Le-Min Lim in Hong Kong at lmlim@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: January 1, 2005 20:48 EST