Bush Raises Tsunami Aid Tenfold To $350 Million

[Darknight]

Bush Raises Tsunami Aid Tenfold to $350 Million

Reuters

By David Morgan

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush, under pressure over the pace and scale of American aid to Asian tsunami victims, abruptly raised the U.S. contribution tenfold to $350 million on Friday.

The White House suggested U.S. assistance could rise still higher after a delegation headed by Secretary of State Colin Powell tours devastated areas next week and reports back to the president on the needs of an estimated 5 million tsunami survivors.

"The disaster around the Indian Ocean continues to grow," Bush said in a statement that emphasized U.S. intentions to coordinate immediate humanitarian relief to Asia through an international coalition including India, Japan and Australia.

"Our contributions will continue to be revised as the full effects of this terrible tragedy become clearer," said the statement released by the White House while Bush vacationed at his ranch in Crawford, Texas.

The president said the dramatic increase in assistance, which eclipsed a $250 million aid pledge from the World Bank, was based on initial the findings of U.S. assessment teams in hard-hit areas of southeastern and central Asia, and on a recommendation from senior officials including Powell.

The White House said Bush spoke to the prime ministers of Britain, Italy and Canada on Friday about the relief effort under way in devastated coastal areas of the Indian Ocean region.

The increased assistance was only the latest step the Bush administration and Congress to bolster America's contribution to relief efforts amid criticism that its initial response had been slow and miserly.

The $350 million sum far outstripped relief contributions from any other country and increased total aid pledges from nearly 40 nations by about 28 percent to nearly $1.36 billion. Before Friday's announcement, the biggest donors had been Britain with $96 million and Sweden with $80 million.

But even the larger number did not insulate the Bush administration from critics.

"It became more evident that $35 million was just not appropriate to the scale of the disaster. And $350 million is not appropriate either," remarked Brookings Institution analyst Ivo Daalder, who said the daunting humanitarian need required major involvement by the U.S. military and NATO.

"The administration's tendency has been to approach this like any other natural disaster," he added

Bush initially waited until Wednesday, three days after the tsunami struck 13 countries from Malaysia to East Africa, to announce $35 million in aid for the region where at least 124,000 people have died in the catastrophe.

Critics quickly compared the dollar sum to $13.6 billion in aid for hurricane-battered U.S. states that Congress passed speedily in the run-up to last month's U.S. elections.

On Thursday, the president announced that his brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Powell would lead a delegation of experts to the region to assess the need for further U.S. assistance.

Republicans and Democrats in Congress are set to work on an tsunami aid package that lawmakers promised would provide generous assistance soon, while the U.S. military has sent about 20 cargo and patrol planes and an aircraft carrier group to assist in relief efforts.

It was not clear which government programs were being tapped for the $350 million in tsunami aid.

White House spokesman Trent Duffy said none of the funds were from an $18 billion sum set aside for reconstruction in Iraq, which some lawmakers have identified as a ready source of relief financing.

Duffy said the White House would work with Congress to replenish funding being redirected to relief efforts in southeastern and central Asia. (Additional reporting by Anna Willard)

[RDN]

I wonder how much the UK's pledge of nearly $100 million helped the US to increase their donation?

Well done USA, and UK.

[aaaaaa]

I wonder how much the UK's pledge of nearly $100 million helped the US to increase their donation?

Well done USA, and UK.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

and China's 63 mln and especially their statement that being a huge country and much developed than those countries affected they they feel like they should give more...

[bklyngal]

I wonder how much the UK's pledge of nearly $100 million helped the US to increase their donation?

Well done USA, and UK.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am an American and proud to be one. What difference does it make as long as the money is being allocated to the areas of need. In my home state I am starting a relief fund to help rebuild the orphange in Sri Lanka that was totally demolished. Daily I fight the urge to board a plane for Thailand to help in anyway I can, I have strong arms and a strong desire to do what I can. I speak english and spanish, have a great compassion for my fellow human beings yet I think I can be of more use here in the USA collecting funds for their relief. So I say if shame, embrassment or just a one up the other countries is what it takes for more funds to be put in place then so what.....let the countries keep one upping the other until Thailand and all the other countries have what it takes to give relief. Having just left the Pattong area after a month of vacation and having made many friends there it breaks my heart so that these magical people have to deal with this terible tragedy. My thoughs and prayers (and money) are with them every minute of the day. Lets all come together in this terrible horrible tragedy...May God bless and bring peace to these people.

[Phil Conners]

Japan pledged $500M

[bklyngal]

Japan pledged $500M

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll let my people know.......seriously I believe the the USA indicated that the 350 mil is only the begining and would be there for the duration of the effort. I think its wonderful that all the countries are trying to give what they can....lets all help, every dollar counts.

[britmaveric]

Any amount of dosh should be applauded - doesnt matter if its 1 satang. I heard that US was being "cheap"- dare say they give more dosh than any country around the world for disasters. I wonder how much the world has donated to the US during their times of disaster - the recent hurricanes in florida comes to mind and I'm quite sure the world donated not a penny. (lets keep this in mind everytime someone is critical of the yanks contributions).

Edited January 2, 2005 by britmaveric

[Phil Conners]

If I understood the comment correctly (and I'm not saying I did) the issue was that USA's contribution was much less than other countries in terms of percentage of GDP

[RDN]

I wonder how much the UK's pledge of nearly $100 million helped the US to increase their donation?

Well done USA, and UK.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am an American and proud to be one. What difference does it make as long as the money is being allocated to the areas of need.......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think only now is the real size of this disaster being realised around the world. Total pledges so far top $2 billion - to think that just a few days ago, people were talking in terms of 10's of millions. But the time frame is also getting longer - now the talk is of decades for the rebuilding to be completed.

[kasi]

If I understood the comment correctly (and I'm not saying I did) the issue was that USA's contribution was much less than other countries in terms of percentage of GDP

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A large chunk of change is also coming from private charities in the US. Perhaps that says a little something about american society.

Regardless of how much the US government gives or does we will always be seeing critics who look only for ways to find fault. Perhaps that isn't the most constructive attitude.

[Tornado]

I would say that all countries are doing their best to help out financially. Some were a little late in coming forward with big bucks, but in the early days of this disaster, the world really did not know how bad the damage was. I also think Australia should be applauded as the population is small, but the donations are huge.

[RDN]

... think Australia should be applauded as the population is small, but the donations are huge.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

- and very quick to respond, too. Well done cobber

[kat]

Well, I have to agree that personally I am ashamed and embarrassed by the meagre response of the US Government sometimes, and our foreign policies, most of the time. However, in terms of giving personal and corporate donations topped the Government's offer in about a day. The American Government also stated explicitly from the beginning that their first amount was just a starter.

As a person that relies on facts more than sentiments in political discussions, I am also inclined to add that the first initial offers of almost every country were all much smaller than their recent offers. The fact that one or the other beat the other to a revised amount in a matter of hours or a day doesn't really mean much because they were probably all working on revisions at the same time for it to occur so fast.

Some of America's military was deployed a day after the Tsunami, and US AID was on the ground the day after, contrary to a couple of ignorant rants that were stated on another thread.

In terms of measuring America's giving as a ratio of their GNP as compared to other countries, I agree that it should be more, but to use this ratio as a reliable comparison is laughable because the GNP of the states is enormous. At the end of the day, the cumulative effect of aid, military and government assistance, and private giving will be quite large, by any comparison.

[Phil Conners]

If I understood the comment correctly (and I'm not saying I did) the issue was that USA's contribution was much less than other countries in terms of percentage of GDP

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

A large chunk of change is also coming from private charities in the US. Perhaps that says a little something about american society.

Regardless of how much the US government gives or does we will always be seeing critics who look only for ways to find fault. Perhaps that isn't the most constructive attitude.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Neither is Fox News' repeated whine that someone had the audacity to say they were kee niaw...

[bmanly]

I think the Americans are helping out very well. The remote areas of Ache are getting vital supply drops from 12 Sea King helicopters that are based on the carrier Abraham Lincoln. Bush has now recruited Clinton and His Father as well to rally the people of America to donate too. Considering all the other committments they are involved in around the world we can only say thanks again for all their help during this disaster too.

Edited January 4, 2005 by bmanly

[kat]

Yes, and they were the first ones in Aceh along with the Australian military (I guess those are the Sea Kings).

I think Australia also does an outstanding job relative to the size of its population and GDP in comparison to other developed countries.