Kuwait doing it's part

[angela146]

Kuwait donates $500 mln oil products for Katrina
04 Sep 2005 16:08:05 GMT

Source: Reuters

By Haitham Haddadin

KUWAIT, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Wealthy OPEC nation Kuwait said on Sunday it is donating $500 million in oil products and other humanitarian aid to its ally the United States to ease severe shortages caused by Hurricane Katrina.

"The humanitarian aid is oil products that the devastated (U.S.) states need in these circumstances, plus other humanitarian aid to lessen the devastation these three states have been subjected to," Energy Minister Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahd al-Sabah told state news agency KUNA.

He said the aid gesture was a duty towards a friend by the tiny Gulf Arab state which was liberated in 1991 by a U.S.-led multinational coalition from seven months of Iraqi occupation.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L04116550.htm

 

[angela146]

Also Qatar

Source: Deutsche Presse Agentur (DPA)

Date: 03 Sep 2005
Print E-mail Save Emir of Qatar contributes aid to Hurricane Katrina victims Dubai - Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani is contributing 100 million dollars to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the United States, which has left several thousand dead and many more homeless.

Qatar News Agency quoted an official source saying the government and people of the state of Qatar sympathized with the American people in this circumstance.

Qatar is an strategic ally of the U.S. in the Persian Gulf.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/KKEE-6FVQU4?OpenDocument

 

[Virtual_Burlesque]

World lines up to help after Katrina

[Reuters]
04 Sep 2005

Sept 4 (Reuters) - Hurricane Katrina has devastated New Orleans and U.S. Gulf Coast states, killing hundreds of people and possibly thousands, and drawing support pledges from rich and poor, traditional friends and foes of the United States.

The State Department or country officials have said offers of help had been received from: Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Greece, Guyana, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

International organisations and religious institutions also offered help ranging from medical teams to tents to cash donations. They include NATO, the Organisation of American States, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organization, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Socities and Cor Unum, the Vatican's central charity organisation.

A State Department official said a needs assessment was being done to determine which offers would be accepted.

The United Nations has offered to help coordinate international relief. Following is a list of some of the aid offered by governments.

ASIA

AUSTRALIA: "We're going to provide A$10 million and the bulk of that money, if not all of it, will go to the American Red Cross," said Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

CHINA: China offered $5 million in aid for victims. If needed, the Chinese government is also prepared to send rescue workers, including medical experts, officials said.

JAPAN: Will provide $200,000 to the American Red Cross to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. Japan will also identify needs in affected regions via the U.S. government and will provide up to $300,000 in emergency supplies if it receives requests for such assistance, the ministry said.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces, responding to requests by the United States Texas Army National Guard, has sent three Chinook helicopters to Fort Polk, Louisiana, to help in relief efforts. The government said the Chinooks will help to ferry supplies and undertake airlift missions.

SOUTH KOREA: Has pledged aid and is waiting for a U.S. response, a government official said.

SRI LANKA: Will donate $25,000 to the American Red Cross.

AMERICAS

CANADA: Defence Minister Bill Graham has indicated that three warships and a coast guard vessel are being loaded with relief supplies and 1,000 personnel. They will be ready to travel to Louisiana as required in the coming days.

CUBA: Cuban President Fidel Castro offered to fly 1,100 doctors to Houston with 26 tonnes of medicine to treat victims.

MEXICO: Is sending 15 truckloads of water, food and medical supplies via Texas and the Mexican navy has offered to send two ships, two helicopters and 15 amphibious vehicles.

VENEZUELA: President Hugo Chavez, a vocal critic of the United States, offered to send cheap fuel, humanitarian aid and relief workers to the disaster area.

EUROPE:

BRUSSELS - The European Union and NATO said they had received official requests from the United States to provide emergency assistance for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

The United States has asked for first aid kits, blankets, water trucks, and 500,000 prepared meals, the EU executive Commission said, adding further needs were being identified.

BRITAIN - Britain is sending 500,000 military ration packs to areas hit by Katrina.

FRANCE: Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said France was ready to offer help: "We have rescue teams based in the Caribbean and we are naturally ready to provide aid to the Americans, and that is what we have told them."

GERMANY: A German Army Airbus plane landed in Florida on Saturday with 10 tonnes of food rations to be transported to the disaster area; a second plane was being prepared.

ITALY: Has offered to send aid and evacuation specialists, Italy's civil protection unit said. Authorities have prepared two military transport planes to fly amphibious vessels, pumps, generators, tents and personnel to New Orleans and other areas.

NETHERLANDS: Will provide teams for inspecting dykes and for identifying victims if there is a formal request from the United States. It will also send a frigate from Curacao to New Orleans shortly to provide emergency assistance, the government said.

RUSSIA: Has offered to help with rescue efforts, but is still awaiting a reply from Washington.

SPAIN: Expects to receive a formal request to release gasoline stocks to the United States and is prepared to grant it, an Industry Ministry spokesman said.


SWEDEN: The Rescue Authority said it was on stand-by to supply water purifying equipment, healthcare supplies and emergency shelters if needed.

MIDDLE EAST

IRAN: Offers to send humanitarian aid to a country that has labelled Iran part of the "axis of evil". "The victims have complained about the lack of timely assistance and we are prepared to send our contributions to the people through the Red Crescent," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi.

ISRAEL: Sending health and defence officials to the U.S. to help coordinate aid.

QATAR: Pledged $100 million in aid to the disaster victims, the official QNA news agency reported.

SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Refining, a Houston-based subsidiary of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, will donate $5 million to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts.

KUWAIT - Wealthy OPEC nation Kuwait is donating $500 million worth of oil products and other humanitarian aid, news agency KUNA reported.

INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES, ORGANISATIONS

RED CROSS/RED CRESCENT: The Geneva-based International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crecent Societies is sending some 80 disaster experts from more than 10 countries in response to a call from the American Red Cross. They will support volunteers providing food and shelter, the Federation said.

COR UNUM: Pope Benedict announced he had asked the Vatican's central charity organisation, Cor Unum, to coordinate Catholic aid for hurricane victims. "We have all been pained in the last few days by the disaster caused by the hurricane in the United States of America, particularly in New Orleans," Benedict said. (

For more news about emergency relief visit Reuters AlertNet http://www.alertnet.org email: alertnet@reuters.com; +44 207 542 2432) (Compiled by Matthew Bigg in London)

 

[Just-Legal]

Oh my god... We're sending ration packs? I am being serious when I say that people are NOT going to speak to us again... those things are foul. I know squaddies who would rather starve than eat them. Sheesh.

On the other hand, its nice to see the world pitching in to help at least to some degree.

 

[rgraham666]

Don't take the squaddies bitching too seriously, JL.

Bitching about the food is a time honoured tradition going back to the Egyptians, at least.

And they are an easily transported, non-perishable food item. I don't think a lot of the people hit by Katrina are going to be doing a lot of bitching.