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.