Nations pledge cash, aid for Asia disaster victims

Nations pledge cash, aid for Asia disaster victims

Countries around the globe have stepped forward with pledges of
cash and assistance to the victims of the southern Asian
earthquake and tsunami disaster. The UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said it will take "many
billions of dollars" for rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts.
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AUSTRALIA: Australia sent four air force transport planes with
supplies and medical specialists to the western Indonesian island
of Sumatra and committed $7.6 million to the international relief
effort.

BELGIUM: The government is sending a military airbus with 22
tonnes of aid from Medecins Sans Frontieres and UNICEF to Sri
Lanka.

BRITAIN: London sent an aircraft with plastic sheets and tents
worth 250,000 pounds ($481,500) to Sri Lanka. It said it was
contributing 370,000 pounds to the EU aid effort and a further
$100,000 to the World Health Organization for relief efforts.

CANADA: Canada said it would make an initial contribution of 1
million Canadian dollars ($814,300) to an appeal for some $6.5
million by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies (IFRC).

CHINA: The government will offer 21.6 million yuan ($2.6 million)
worth of emergency humanitarian aid to India, Indonesia,
Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, official media reported.
CZECH REPUBLIC: Prague dispatched a plane to Sri Lanka with
drinking water. Officials said overall aid worth $444,400 would
be sent.

EUROPEAN UNION: The European Commission pledged 3 million euros
($4.06 million) and said it could mobilize up to 30 million euros
for rapid distribution to aid groups.

FRANCE: Foreign Minister Michel Barnier is heading to Sri Lanka
and Thailand on a flight carrying aid. Paris has earmarked
100,000 euros for initial rescue efforts in Thailand and has sent
a plane with about 100 rescue workers and five tonnes of aid to
Sri Lanka.

GERMANY: Germany said it was contributing 1 million euros of
emergency aid to the international effort and taking part in the
EU program. It sent a disaster relief team to Sri Lanka.

GREECE: Greece has offered Sri Lanka medical assistance,
including 17 doctors and staff.

ISRAEL: Israel sent a medical team with medicines and equipment
to Sri Lanka and another to Thailand. Plans to send a military
search and rescue team to Sri Lanka on Tuesday had been delayed
due to coordination problems.

JAPAN: Tokyo will provide around $30 million in aid to countries
hit by the tsunami. In addition to sending an emergency medical
team and equipment to Sri Lanka and a damage survey team to
Indonesia, Japan will give emergency grant aid to Indonesia, Sri
Lanka and the Maldives.

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti cabinet agreed to send aid supplies worth $1
million to the affected region.

NETHERLANDS: The Netherlands said it was contributing 2 million
euros to the Red Cross-Red Crescent appeal, above and beyond its
participation in the overall EU program.

SINGAPORE: Singapore said it would contribute around $1.2 million
to the global effort, and had armed forces medical teams and
relief supplies ready to fly to Indonesia.

SPAIN: Madrid is sending a plane with first aid and sanitary
equipment to Sri Lanka. It has promised 1 million euros for aid
and planes and is considering sending specialists to help with
distribution.

SWEDEN: Sweden sent two communications specialists to help U.N.
relief efforts in Sri Lanka, and said it was sending tents and
communications equipment to the Maldives. The Swedish Red Cross
said it would contribute $750,000 to the global IFRC appeal.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: The government pledged $2 million in aid
and its Red Crescent was planning to send three plane-loads of
aid to India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka on Tuesday.

UNITED STATES: The United States said it planned to provide an
initial $15 million in aid and had already released $100,000 each
to India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. It said the U.S.
Pacific Command had sent three patrol aircraft to assess damage.

IMF: The head of the International Monetary Fund said he intended
to provide assistance, but did not specify.

UNHCR: The U.N.'s refugee agency said it was providing homeless
in Sri Lanka with 18,000 pieces of plastic sheeting, 17,000
plastic mats, rope and non-food relief packages for 2,000
families.

UNICEF: The U.N. children's agency was distributing clothing and
more than 30,000 blankets and sleeping mats in Sri Lanka and
1,600 water tanks, 30,000 blankets, medical supplies and hundreds
of thousands of water purification pills in India. Similar
supplies would soon be heading to Indonesia and the Maldives.

UN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM: The UNDP provided $100,000 each to Sri
Lanka, India, Indonesia, the Maldives and Thailand to help them
assess and coordinate emergency needs.

UN POPULATION FUND: The fund said it had earmarked up to $1
million and extra staff to help ensure that the special health
needs of pregnant and nursing women were met.