Where's The Global Aid?

That's nice to hear. I think Oz is far more an allie than any other country.

Thanks, Gus. That's nice to hear too.

I haven't wanted to bring it up, because in the light of things, one's travel plans aren't the issue. I have been thinking of you and your intended trip. I'm sorry you won't get to see this great city.

Help
It has still only been a couple of days since the hurricane ravaged the gulf area. Our government hasn't even been able to get all of our own people and supplies into the area yet. One cannot expect aid overnight. There are still people clinging to rooftops and trees waiting for someone to come get them. This is a disaster of huge proportions like that we have never seen in this country.

I believe we will see more and more countries and individuals offer aid once a more thorough assessment has been made and the rest of the world has a chance to see just how devastating this situation has become. In the months to come we will likely need supplies to feed, cloth and house the displaced people living in the area. I think we will see the generosity of the world once there is a better understanding of the scope of the situation and a clearer path forward as to what is needed.

Financially, we will probably be on our own I would suspect. As stated in an earlier post, USA is considered one of, if not the richest country in the world. Who here would be willing to donate a few hundred hard earned dollars to the likes of Bill Gates if he lost his house in a hurricane? Not too many I would guess. I am sure however that there would be plenty of people to help him dig out of the mess, get medical attention and the like.

It takes time. This is a very large undertaking and will take many months just to clean up the mess. Rebuilding will take years. I could be wrong but I think help will get hear. And it will come from all corners of the earth from countries we would least expect it from. We just have to be patient, as hard as that may be. There is nothing that amazes me more than the generosity of others during real times of need.

news from the CBC
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"Canadian relief agencies start to help Katrina victims
Last Updated Wed, 31 Aug 2005 19:37:09 EDT
CBC News
Canadian relief agencies have moved to help the U.S. states hit by Hurricane Katrina.

Winnipeg-based Mennonite Disaster Service said Wednesday it is gathering donations to help send hundreds of volunteers to rebuild homes.

Lois Nickel of the Mennonite group said volunteers from nearby states could be in Alabama by the weekend, helping to clear roads of fallen trees. She said a U.S. team is heading to Gulfport, Mississippi, where they hope to establish a base camp for volunteers next to the city's Mennonite church.

Nickel said a call for hundreds of Canadian volunteers may not happen for several weeks, depending on how long it takes to set up the church camp.

Canadian Red Cross volunteers with experience in large scale disasters were being contacted Wednesday and officials hoped a handful would be travelling to the southern U.S. by the weekend.

Suzanne Charest of the Red Cross said they'll likely send more than 100 volunteers in the coming weeks to help serve hot meals, assess the needs of displaced families and to train other volunteers.

In Edmonton, Canada's Public Security Minister said Canada will do whatever it can for the U.S.

Anne McLellan said that could involve a wide variety of things, including sending military engineers.

But McLellan said medical drugs may be among the first items Canada is called upon to ship south.

She said an American government agency asked Ottawa to do an inventory of medication that could help stop the spread of infection. McLellan said the inventory has been done and the U.S. government has been informed of Canada's ability to ship the drugs. "
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don't want to blow our own horn, but i think you might want to know that relief is on the way.
i think the biggest problem will be to actually get the relief into the hardest hit areas since even the u.s. military seems to have problems getting into the flood ravaged areas. hbg

Germany has offered help, so has Austria.

From the US Embassy webpage in Austria:
http://www.usembassy.at/en/policy/hurricane.htm


At the present time, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is still assessing damage and has not made a call for foreign assistance. Austrian rescue and aid organizations that wish to offer material assistance in case needs are identified are asked to contact FEMA's Office of International Affairs (OIA). The point of contact is Ms. Sonja Nieuwejaar. The Embassy suggests emailing Ms. Nieuwejaar at [email protected]. The OIA may also be reached at 202-646-2925. Offers of assistance should include a list of available equipment and capabilities as well as numbers of people and contact information for the group's point of contact.

Already
Look at the offers already. Here is another article from VOA News.

World leaders are offering condolences and assistance to the victims of the hurricane that devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote a letter to President Bush expressing sympathy and confidence that under Mr. Bush's leadership the American people would respond with empathy to those in distress.

A South Korean government spokeswoman said President Roh Moo-hyun, in a letter to President Bush, expressed concern for the damage and hopes for a speedy recovery.

The speaker of the Iraqi national assembly, Hajim Al-Hasani, expressed sympathy in a letter to U.S. lawmakers. The White House today said Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin phoned President Bush to express condolences and offer help.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said a lot of nations have offered to help the United States, and Washington is open to all offers for assistance.

New Zealand, Russia and Venezuela are among the nations to volunteer assistance, although the U.S. State Department said Wednesday it was not aware of the offer from Caracas.

More global aid:

September 02, 2005
This time America getting foreign aid
The Issue: In the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, many Americans have been asking why the international community hasn’t come to the aid of the United States.

Our Opinion: In fact, it has. Offers of assistance have come from around the globe.


It didn’t take long once the devastation from Hurricane Katrina became apparent before the calls and letters started coming into the newsroom asking pretty much the same question: Where is the international community when the United States suffers a natural disaster?

Most of them pointed to the aid Americans provided in the wake of the tsunamis that ripped through coastal areas along the Indian Ocean in December and proclaimed something to the effect that no one helps us when we are in need.

Even President Bush said he was not expecting much assistance from foreign nations because the United States has not asked for it.

“This country is going to rise up and take care of it,” the president said. “You know we’d love help, but we’re going to take care of our own business as well.”

The fact is, however, that within 24 hours after Katrina battered the Gulf Coast, at least 15 nations offered to as-sist the United States.

Perhaps the most amazing offer came from Venezuela, which offered emergency funds and fuel less than a week after the Rev. Pat Robertson used his television program to call for the U.S. government to assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

“The government and the nation of the Bolivaran Republic of Venezuela express to the United States and its leaders their dismay over the magnitude and consequences of Hurricane Katrina,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The offer came despite months of deterioration in the relationship between U.S. and Venezuelan officials and after Chavez threatened to cut oil supplies to the United States in the wake of Robertson’s ill-advised remark.

Elsewhere, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of-fered aid and assistance, saying he had called on several ministries to come up with a detailed list of what kind of aid could be provided.

“There is a lot possible for us in this sector,” he said.

“The federal government is prepared to give any assis-tance or support to bring this terrible natural disaster and its effects under control,” added Joschka Fischer, German Foreign Minister, according to a report on Bloomberg.com.

“Our thoughts are with the relatives of the numerous victims, the many injured and all people who have lost their homes or are worried about family and friends,” Fischer said.

And the Toronto Globe and Mail reported aid organiza-tions across our neighbor to the north are receiving dona-tions from people who want to help those devastated by Katrina.

“We want to reassure the president and the people of the United States that we are their best friends and their neighbor, and we will be there to help them in a situation that truly is without parallel in our country or theirs,” said Canadian Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan.

The Canadian Red Cross is accepting donations for hurricane relief. The organization received hundreds of calls from Canadians wanting to help the people impacted by this disaster and will accept funds designated for Hur-ricane Katrina, said Don Shropshire, the group’s national director for disaster services.
The Canadian Salvation Army, too, is accepting dona-tions to aid Katrina’s victims.

The United States is not alone in its efforts to relieve the suffering along the Gulf Coast. Nations around the globe generously are offering a helping hand.

http://www.readingeagle.com/blog/editorials/archives/2005/09/



this_time_ameri.html



Europe mixes surprise and criticism with help:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05245/564732.stm


[Europe News


U.S. accepts Russian Katrina aid
Sep 2, 2005, 17:15 GMT
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MOSCOW, Russia (UPI) -- After first turning it down, the United States has accepted Russia`s proposal to help Louisiana recover from Hurricane Katrina.

'Anything that can be of help to alleviate the tragic situation of the area affected by Hurricane Katrina will be accepted,' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. 'America should be heartened by the fact that the world is reaching out to America at a time of need.'

Altogether, more than 20 countries, from allies Germany and Japan to Venezuela and Honduras, have offered to help the United States cope with the aftermath of Katrina, MosNews reported.

President George W. Bush said in an earlier television interview the United States could take care of itself.

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/article_1045587.php/U.S._accepts_Russian_Katrina_aid



U.S. thanks dozens of foreign countries for aid
Fri Sep 2, 2005 06:14 PM ET

By Sue Pleming
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Friday thanked dozens of foreign governments -- rich and poor, enemy and friend -- for their offers to help the world's wealthiest country recover from devastating Hurricane Katrina.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said just as the United States responded generously to disasters worldwide, so had nearly 60 nations come to America's side after Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans and other parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast, killing hundreds and possibly thousands of people.

"Today, we are seeing a similar urgent, warm and compassionate reaction from the international community in response to Katrina," Rice told a news conference.

Rice said no aid had been turned down and she was particularly moved by an offer from Sri Lanka, itself recovering from last year's Indian Ocean tsunami.

"Every contribution is important," said Rice, who plans to visit some of the stricken areas over the weekend in Alabama, where her own family comes from.

The State Department has set up a task force to cope with the dozens of offers coming in from foreign nations, trying to match them up with needs on the ground.

Embassies in the U.S. capital have swamped the department with offers, ranging from cash donations to helicopters, tents and medical teams.

While help has come from longtime American friends such as Japan, Germany, Canada, France and Britain, offers have also been made by critics of the U.S. government, including Cuba and Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez offered to send cheap fuel but the State Department said a decision had not been made on whether to accept this offer.

Rice canceled her vacation this week and returned to work when the devastation from the hurricane became clear. She said she had spoken via telephone to her counterparts in a number of foreign capitals.

"In my discussions with my counterparts, I've been heartened at their offers of both short-term and long-term support," she said.

The State Department has also been trying to track down all of its 165 employees who work at a busy passport office in New Orleans and has tried to secure the office from looters.

In addition, State Department specialists who usually are used abroad in disasters have been assigned to help with the relief efforts.

The department said offers of help had been received from: Australia, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, the European Union, France, Germany, Guatemala, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, NATO, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the Organization of American States, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organization.

SOURCE



Good source posted by Mysteryman:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-09-02-katrinaworldhelps_x.htm


.....The offers blur political lines. Cuba and Venezuela, for instance, have offered to help despite differences with Washington. Oil giant Saudi Arabia and tiny countries like Dominica are among the nations making pledges.

Australia announced a donation of $8 million to the American Red Cross. "The United States is so often at the forefront of international aid efforts to help less fortunate nations," Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said.

"So it is only fitting that Australia should contribute to the daunting task of helping the thousands of American citizens whose lives have been thrown into turmoil by this unprecedented disaster," Downer said.

France, "determined to show its solidarity with the United States," offered a range of aircraft and two ships, with helicopters and planes capable of airlifting tons of supplies, a disaster unit with 20 soldiers, a civil defense detachment of 35 people and an airborne emergency unit, the French Embassy said.

Japan said it would contribute $200,000 to the American Red Cross for its relief operations. Upon request, Japan is prepared to provide up to $300,000 worth of tents, blankets, power generators, portable water tanks and other equipment, the Japanese Embassy said.

The United States historically has aided victims of disasters, but it is not universally recognized as providing the level of aid expected of a rich nation.........

This is a good thing.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L02304097.htm

Bush said we could handle it ourselves?

Grandma taught me that wasn't very gracious when the need is real and the giver is genuine.

I'm glad he changed his mind.

The university spots are a creative offer.

Did he really say that? I see references to it - but not actual quotes or original sources.


It seems a troubling thing as a stated reaction for a person in his position - but then...shrugs...


Sounds like the minders with better brains and hearts got to hin pretty fast if he did say it.



SRI LANKA is giving you guys aid. SRI LANKA!!!

There are HUGE numbers of companies and individuals all across the US also giving massive amounts.

I wish our corporate citizens had this kind of tradition of philanthropy.

Actually, the US is somewhere on the 26:th place on the OECD(?) scale, preceded by the obvious Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Norway, Japan and so forth. It's all on the Internet somewhere, I'm not good at numbers. :-)

And as far as the subject goes; what the heck? I'm pretty disappointed at you guys oversea right now. A lot of European countries are offering help right now, and the only thing stopping international resources and manpower from going to Louisiana is your own government, which currently thinks they can manage it just fine by themselves. No matter what the international community thinks of any country's politics, we don't confuse the people with their government.

*edit*
I've heard of swedish organizations preparing support funds even before the hurricane stroke the coast.

Oh dear CTO - you mean we are not numero uno. Let us keep that quit less citizen of the US learn they are not the best and brightest!

I know many of you might get upset with this topic, but you need to think of a plan for yourself in case something ever happens! Never rely on others to make the choice for you. Think about what you can do and how to help just in case this ever happens to you. This rescue reminds me of Haiti after they have floods and unrest. They look for leadership and only found the Coast Guard helping them.
I know you will soon be hearing this on TV. Who's fault was the lack of help from the Federal government. So my question is why was the president still on vacation when all this happened? He is the one who can order troops and help. How do you feel knowing Mr. Bush was playing golf on Tuesday afternoon and a ceramony Wednesday afternoon. Once he flew over head he then ordered the navy ships to assist and ordered more troops and food. Fema was standing around not really knowing what to do first with so much destruction. My biggest favorite was the Corp of engineers They really didn't care about a temp fix of the levees, but wanted to know how to fix them for good. They had barges they could have sunk, but didn't. It was better to let the water level off they replied. I asked someone I know in DC about the barges, but he emailed back and said they are clueless on how to stop the water. Experts who run the government are clueless.

I sense irony, but I'm really confused in what direction.

Anyway, apparently Cuba has offered 1 100 doctors and 26 tons of necessities (don't ask me) to aid US. The last I heard, no answer to the request had been given. Good or bad? Should pride come before saving lives, or should the offer be accepted?