Teacher's Ramblings

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Tuesday, January 04, 2005

This Shouldn't Be Necessary

Arthur Chrenkoff has the latest on Tsunami donors, for some weird reason the US doesn’t look half bad:

Tsunami aid: Who's giving what
Donations of money and assistance have been pouring in to international aid agencies from governments and individuals in the wake of the tsunami disaster in Asia.
Here is a breakdown of more than $2bn in aid pledged so far:

Japan $500m (£264m) in government donations, 120 civilian emergency workers sent to tsunami-hit countries.

USA $350m in government donations, plus military assistance involving 12,600 personnel, 21 ships, 14 cargo planes and 48 helicopters. Private donations are also pouring in, with $120m donated to the US branches of the Red Cross, Oxfam and Save the Children, and to Catholic Relief Services.

World Bank $250m diverted from existing programmes to cover emergency needs while longer-term reconstruction needs are assessed.

Norway $182m in government donations, plus $30m raised in private donations.

Asian Development Bank $175m has been diverted from existing programmes in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The bank says up to $150m more could be made available in new loans.

FROM THE WORLD'S POOREST
Russian town of Beslan - scene of a bloody school siege last year - pledged 1m roubles ($36,000) from the fund set up after the mass hostage-taking

Mozambique - one of the world's poorest nations - has donated $100,000
Nepal and East Timor have also pledged donations

Britain $96m in government donations, plus $146m in private donations which the government has pledged to match. Two RAF planes, a C-17 and a Tristar, are helping to deliver aid to the region. Chancellor Gordon Brown is pushing a proposal for the debts of the affected nations to be frozen.

Italy $95m in government aid. Six to eight police forensics specialists have been sent to Thailand to help to identify bodies. Public donations totalling $20m had been collected by New Year's Day.

Sweden $80m in government donations, plus $60m in private donations including money raised during two telethons.

Denmark $75m in government aid. Copenhagen has sent a field hospital, transport vehicles and a ship to the UN aid effort, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said.

Spain $68m in government donations, and a medical team has been sent to Sri Lanka.

France $66m in government donations, plus an estimated $49m raised in private donations. A medical team has been sent to Sri Lanka.

Canada $66m in government donations, plus at least $29m raised in private donations with a government commitment to match every dollar donated by the public. Ottawa has already placed a moratorium on debt from the affected countries. It is also deploying its highly-specialised Disaster Assistance Response Team to Sri Lanka.

China $60m in government donations, plus $1.8m donated to the Chinese Red Cross.
South Korea $50m in government aid. The prime minister's office said the funds would be spend for rehabilitation of the devastated areas over the next three years. Private donations have reached nearly $13m, the South Korean foreign ministry says.

Australia $46m has been donated in government aid, and donations from the public total $58m. About 350 military staff, four military helicopters, a troop transport ship, a military health support team and a water purification plant are being sent to Indonesia, as well as a team of volunteer medical professionals.

Netherlands $34m has been donated by the government and aid groups say a further $35m has been raised in private donations. A Dutch police identification team has been sent to Thailand.
European Union $31m in aid, although EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner has said this may be increased by tens of millions of euros.

Germany $27m in government aid. Berlin is planning to increase this to $680m, according to a government source. Germany is also sending a mobile hospital to Aceh and a military ship with two helicopters, aid supplies, water treatment equipment and an operating theatre on board. The public have donated an estimated $130m.

Qatar $25m in government aid. Qatar is also sending food, medical and logistical supplies to affected countries.

Countries in the region

India The Indian military is staging its biggest relief operation ever in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia. This involves at least 16,000 troops, 32 navy ships, 41 aircraft including at least 16 helicopters, several medical teams and a mobile hospital. The air force has so far lifted 10,000 tonnes of relief supplies.

Bangladesh Bangladesh has dispatched 111 soldiers to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, with a further 46 expected to join them. Two planes and two helicopters will carry the troops together with aid supplies.

Pakistan Pakistan plans to send 500 military staff in medical and engineering teams to Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

Story from BBC NEWS:http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4145259.stmPublished: 2005/01/04 19:30:46 GMT© BBC MMV

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