JEDDAH, 29 December 2004 — The consulates of some Southeast Asian countries which were devastated by the recent powerful earthquake and giant tidal wave said yesterday that there might be a reduction in the number of Haj pilgrims. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand are among the countries anticipating lower than expected numbers of Haj pilgrims.
“There were many casualties in the eastern part of Sri Lanka which is a predominantly Muslim area, and there will be few pilgrims coming from that part,” Sri Lankan Consul General A.M.J. Sadiq told Arab News. “So far only about 600 pilgrims have come on three flights. The groups registered from the eastern area may not come now,” he said. A total of 6,370 Sri Lankan pilgrims were expected to perform Haj this year.
Indonesian Consul Sabilillah Maqom said Aceh was one of the worst-affected areas. “Of the 17 flights scheduled to arrive from Aceh, only seven have come so far. The others may not come at all.”
Of the 8,000 Thais expected for Haj, only 2,000 have come, said an official at the Thai Consulate General. “We’re waiting for word from our ministry in Bangkok about the arrival of the remaining pilgrims,” he said.
Indian Consul General Dr. Ausaf Sayeed said most of the pilgrims coming through the Central Haj Committee, especially from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh had already come. “But we’re not sure about those coming through private travel operators from those states,” he said.
Many South Asians in Saudi Arabia have been making frantic efforts to reach their friends and relatives by phone. “We’re able to get calls from our relatives at home, but we’re not able to establish telephone contacts from here,” said the Sri Lankan consul general.
Muhammad Haris of Addalaichenai, near Kalamunai, in southern Sri Lanka, said his sister’s seven-year-old daughter and five-year-old son were missing after the giant waves hit the small town where they lived. “The whole village was under water,” he said.
