Reports from the Countries of the World who see beyond differences and just want to help touch me deeply

Date:   9/5/2005 12:16:56 PM ( 19 y ago)

The message
I SEE NOW IS that
an INTENSE ENERGY HAS BEEN RELEASED
BY KATRINA, and THE SOLUTION TO MORE KATRINA'S
IS CELEBRATING OUR ONENESS AS A WORLD.

ALL THESE OFFERS OF HELP TOUCH ME.

WE NEED TO ALL START BEING FRIENDS
AND PUT OUR FOCUS ON THE VERY HUMAN TECHNOLOGY
OF COMMUNICATION AND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING
TO CREATE THIS KIND OF RAPPORT.

IT IS NOT US AGAINST THE EARTH...
MORE SOON....



Sept 5, (Reuters) - Hurricane Katrina has devastated New Orleans and U.S. Gulf Coast states, killing hundreds of people and possibly thousands, and drawing support pledges from rich and poor, traditional friends and foes of the United States.

The United States, a major world donor itself, last week let it be known it would accept help from a variety of nations.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice decided "no offer that can help alleviate the suffering of the people in the afflicted area will be refused."

Some 60 nations have offered help, from longtime American friends such as Japan, Germany, Canada, France and Britain as well as Cuban President Fidel Castro, who is willing to donate doctors and medicine. The Venezuelan government, frequently criticised by the Bush administration, has also offered help.

Thailand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, countries that suffered their own devastation during the tsunami on Dec. 26, also offered support.

International organisations and religious institutions also offered help ranging from medical teams to tents to cash donations. They include NATO, the Organization of American States, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organisation, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Cor Unum, the Vatican's central charity organisation. The United Nations has offered to help coordinate international relief.

Following is a list of some of the aid offered.

ASIA

AUSTRALIA: "We're going to provide A$10 million and the bulk of that money, if not all of it, will go to the American Red Cross," said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

CHINA: China offered $5 million in aid for victims. If needed, the government is also prepared to send rescue workers, including medical experts, officials said. State-controlled CNOOC, the country's top offshore oil and gas producer which was forced to drop a bid for Unocal after opposition from U.S. Congress, said it would match donations from its employees.

JAPAN: Will provide $200,000 to the American Red Cross to assist victims, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. Japan will also identify needs in affected regions via the U.S. government and will provide up to $300,000 in emergency supplies if it receives requests for such assistance, the ministry said.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces, responding to requests by the United States Texas Army National Guard, has sent three Chinook helicopters to Fort Polk, Louisiana, to help in relief efforts. The government said the Chinooks will help to ferry supplies and undertake airlift missions.

THAILAND: Thailand has offered to send 100 doctors and nurses to hurricane-ravaged New Orleans. "We have made the offer to them and they have accepted and said thank you," Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said.

SOUTH KOREA: Will send $30 million in aid, which includes private donations. Will dispatch a 50-person rescue team and if the U.S. needs foreign troops, parliament will discuss whether to send South Korean soldiers.

BANGLADESH: Offered $1.0 million donation as humanitarian aid, the foreign ministry said.

SRI LANKA: Will donate $25,000 to the American Red Cross.

AMERICAS

CANADA: Defence Minister Bill Graham has indicated that three warships and a coast guard vessel are being loaded with relief supplies and 1,000 personnel. They will be ready to travel to Louisiana as required in the coming days.

CUBA: Cuban President Fidel Castro offered to fly 1,100 doctors to Houston with 26 tonnes of medicine to treat victims.

MEXICO: Is sending 15 truckloads of water, food and medical supplies via Texas and the Mexican navy has offered to send two ships, two helicopters and 15 amphibious vehicles.

VENEZUELA: President Hugo Chavez, a vocal critic of the United States, offered to send cheap fuel, humanitarian aid and relief workers to the disaster area.

EUROPE:

BRUSSELS: The European Union and NATO said they had received official requests from the United States to provide emergency assistance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The United States has asked for first aid kits, blankets, water trucks, and 500,000 prepared meals, the EU executive Commission said.

The Commission's Civil Protection Mechanism will coordinate member states' offers and U.S. needs. An EU field coordinator will be appointed this week.

AUSTRIA - Crisis team in Houston, Texas. Dirty water pumps, 300 camp beds.

BELGIUM - Three medical teams, civil engineering team, diving team.

BRITAIN: Britain is sending 500,000 military ration packs to areas hit by Katrina. Medical experts, marine engineers and high-volume pumps, various engineers.

DENMARK - Water purification units.

FINLAND - Thirty-member search and rescue team.

FRANCE: Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said France was ready to offer help. "We have rescue teams based in the Caribbean and we are naturally ready to provide aid to the Americans, and that is what we have told them," he said. Paris has readied 300 tents, 980 field beds and other material.

GERMANY: Over the weekend, Germany sent two German army Airbus planes to the United States, loaded with a combined 25 tonnes of food rations. America has asked for logistical specialists, pumps, drinking water, water filters, generators, emergency dwellings, blankets and medical aid.

IRELAND - Initial assistance of 1 million euros.

ITALY: Has offered to send aid and evacuation specialists, Italy's civil protection unit said. Authorities have prepared two military transport planes to fly amphibious vessels, pumps, generators, tents and personnel to New Orleans and other areas.

LUXEMBOURG - Prepared 1,000 camp beds, 2,000 blankets.

MALTA - Material and cash. No details.

NETHERLANDS: Will provide teams for inspecting dykes and for identifying victims if there is a formal request from the United States. It will also send a frigate from Curacao to New Orleans shortly to provide emergency assistance, the government said.

ROMANIA - Two teams of medical experts.

RUSSIA - Will send three planes on either Monday or Tuesday.

The planes will carry medical dressings, food, tents, blankets, drinking water and portable electricity generators.

SWEDEN - First aid kits, blankets, meals ready to eat, two water purification plants plus instructors. Equipment to restore cell phone net in disaster areas.

SPAIN: Is prepared to grant any formal U.S. request for gasoline stocks, an Industry Ministry spokesman said. Also organising delivery of items such as military-type meals, batteries and medicines.

SWEDEN: The Rescue Authority said it was on stand-by to supply water purifying equipment, healthcare supplies and emergency shelters if needed.

MIDDLE EAST

IRAN: Offers to send humanitarian aid to a country that has labelled it part of the "axis of evil." "The victims have complained about the lack of timely assistance and we are prepared to send our contributions to the people through the Red Crescent," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi.

ISRAEL: Sending health and defence officials to the U.S. to help coordinate aid.

QATAR: Pledged $100 million in aid to the disaster victims, the official QNA news agency reported.

SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Refining, a Houston-based subsidiary of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, will donate $5 million to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts.

KUWAIT - Wealthy OPEC nation Kuwait is donating $500 million worth of oil products and other humanitarian aid, news agency KUNA reported.

BAHRAIN - Pledged $5 million to aid hurricane victims.

INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES, ORGANISATIONS

RED CROSS/RED CRESCENT: The Geneva-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is sending some 80 disaster experts from more than 10 countries in response to a call from the American Red Cross. They will support volunteers providing food and shelter, the Federation said.

COR UNUM: Pope Benedict announced he had asked the Vatican's central charity organisation, Cor Unum, to coordinate Catholic aid for hurricane victims. "We have all been pained in the last few days by the disaster caused by the hurricane in the United States of America, particularly in New Orleans," Benedict said.

UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations announced the United States had accepted its aid offer and said its staff will be based at the USAID Hurricane Operations Center, where international assistance is being coordinated. They "are ready to provide emergency staff and a wide variety of relief supplies as and when necessary," the U.N. statement said.

(For more news about emergency relief visit Reuters AlertNet http://www.alertnet.org email: alertnet@reuters.com; +44 207 542 2432)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0472355.htm


 

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