Chile, Mexico, Venezuela eye tsunami aid

Chile, Mexico, Venezuela eye tsunami aid

SANTIAGO: Chile on Friday donated US$1 million to UNICEF, earmarked for aid to children who survived the devastating December 26 tsunami in South Asia.

The money was collected from a benefit concert and a campaign dubbed "The Chilean people help southeast Asia."

About 30 musicians in Mexico were due to hold a benefit concert Jan. 29 in Mexico City to raise funds for tsunami victims.

And Venezuela will hold a telethon to raise aid funds, also set for Jan. 29. Information Minister Andres Izarra acknowledged that his goal of raising $100 million was ambitious, but he still voiced hope that it could be reached.

The Dec. 26 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra triggered giant waves which crashed into the shores of 11 Indian Ocean nations, killing nearly 220,000 people. The worst-hit countries were Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. -- AFP