World sends cash, food, medical teams to Sumatra
World sends cash, food, medical teams to Sumatra
The Jakarta post, Jakarta
The unprecedented global response to the tsunami disaster has
seen several countries pledging hundreds of millions of dollars,
relief supplies and medical teams to help survivors in Aceh and
North Sumatra provinces.
More than 80,000 people were killed in the Dec. 26 natural
disaster.
Around 40 countries have, so far, pledged some US$2 billion to
meet the needs of 5 million survivors in 11 countries, including
the worst-affected, Indonesia.
The Japanese Embassy in Jakarta said in a press release that
Japan would provide assistance to the maximum extent possible in
three ways: financial resources, knowledge and expertise, and
human resources.
Japan became the world's largest donor when Japanese Prime
Minister Junichiro Koizumi raised Japan's offer to US$500 million
on Saturday to all the affected countries.
"Japan will extend to affected countries and international
organizations concerned up to $500 million in grant money as
emergency assistance to cope with the damage," the embassy said,
while adding that the Japanese emergency medical team had already
commenced operations in Aceh.
The U.S. Embassy said in a press release that Washington had
pledged $15 million in direct humanitarian assistance to
Indonesia in response to the disaster, in addition to military
assistance and support.
On Friday, U.S. President George W. Bush raised his country's
offer to $350 million from $35 million to tsunami-affected
countries.
The USS Abraham Lincoln war ship is already docked near Banda
Aceh and assisting relief efforts through its several
helicopters.
A 29-ton shipment of emergency humanitarian supplies arrived
in Jakarta on Sunday and would be handed over to the Indonesian
Red Cross (PMI) for distribution in Aceh and North Sumatra, the
Canadian Embassy said in a press release sent to The Jakarta
Post.
The PMI will receive a grant of C$650,000 for its Aceh
operations from the Canadian International Development Agency
(CIDA) on Monday.
Canada pledged C$40 million to tsunami-affected countries.
The European Union (EU), which has committed US$31.3 million
in aid to tsunami victims, said it would allocate $13 million to
Indonesia.
The African Union announced that it would donate $100,000 to
tsunami victims in Asia.
Britain, which raised its assistance to US$96 million from its
earlier offer of $67 million on Thursday, said it will dispatch a
shipment of vehicles, electrical lighting, generators and water
purification units to Aceh this week. These materials are meant
for the UN field office in Banda Aceh.
"London will also send 10 emergency health kits meant for
100,000 people for three months," the British Embassy said in a
press release on Saturday.
The Australian government, which has already deployed six C-
130 transport planes and the HMAS Kanimbla ship to Aceh, said in
a press release that it pledged to contribute A$35 million to
tsunami-affected countries.
"Emergency relief (A$10 million) in Indonesia's devastated
province of Aceh is the main component of this support," the
release, which was sent to the Post on Friday, said.
India, also a victim of the tsunami disaster, has sent
hospital ship INS Nirupak and corvette INS Khukri, along with
US$1 million worth emergency relief supplies to Aceh, the Indian
Embassy said in a press release.
"INS Nirupak will provide onboard in-patient and out-patient
medical services for disaster victims in Aceh," the release said.
Pakistan is sending an engineering task force and field
hospital by two C-130 aircraft for rescue and relief operations
in Aceh and North Sumatra, the Pakistani Embassy in Jakarta said
in a press statement.
The embassy said Pakistan would also send two naval ships with
a floating hospital and three helicopters.
The Chinese Embassy in Jakarta donated goods worth US$600,000
to Indonesia, the embassy said in a press release.
Chinese companies in Indonesia have donated $200,000 to
Indonesian tsunami victims.
Beslan, a town in Russia that became a major victim of
terrorism last year, has donated one million rubles ($37,000) to
tsunami victims, RIA Novosti agency reported. Russia is about to
announce its assistance to tsunami victims.
The Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta announced that Norway has
decided to allocate US$16 million for humanitarian aid to the
tsunami-affected areas.
The Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta has handed
over US$100,000 in humanitarian aid to Indonesia.
Singapore has increased the amount of its humanitarian relief
package for tsunami-affected countries from S$2 million to S$5
million, the Singaporean Embassy said in a press release.
Saudi Arabia announced last week it would donate US$10 million
to tsunami-affected countries, including $2 million to Indonesia,
its embassy said in a press statement.
Morocco said it would send a plane load of emergency aid to
Indonesia, its embassy announced in Jakarta.
The embassies of Chile and Egypt announced in Jakarta that
their countries would send medical teams with expertise in
emergency rescue.