Humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. |
- For list of humanitarian aid organizations assisting the victims, see Donations for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.
The humanitarian response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was prompted by one of the major natural disasters of modern times. On December 26 the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, struck off the northwest coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, spawned tsunamis and wreaked havoc along much of the rim of the Indian Ocean. Particularly hard-hit were the countries of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Many tens of thousands of people were killed, tens of thousands more were injured and over one million were made homeless.
The first tasks of the governments and humanitarian aid agencies were to bury the massive numbers of dead and prevent an epidemic of communicable diseases. The World Health Organization warned that the number of deaths from preventable diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, dysentery and typhoid could rival the death toll from the disaster itself. These diseases are largely spread by the bodily wastes of the living after the loss of normal sanitary facilities, the shared use of inadequate ones in makeshift refuges, and the lack of clean water. Many usual sources of water were spoiled by salt water, broken by the force of the tsunami, or contaminated with bodies of dead people or livestock, requiring water purification equipment or trucking potable water into the affected region. Other high priorities were delivery of medical supplies and personnel to overwhelmed hospitals and clinics, tent shelters and clothing to people who have lost their houses and belongings, and food, especially baby food. Several governments have appealed for body bags to assist in the safe disposal of corpses.
Humanitarian situation
There have, as yet, been no confirmed deaths attributable to disease, starvation, loss of livelihoods and income or other conditions created by the natural disaster. The tsunamis exacted a heavy toll on coastal communities and especially fisherfolk in the region[1]. In India and Thailand, government and Civil Society Organisations have been able to mobilise resources and are responding as quickly as possible. India is also providing assistance to neighboring countries. The people and governments in the nations of Sri Lanka and Indonesia are doing all they can but have been overwhelmed by the enormity of the catastrophe, especially in inaccessible areas.
Sri Lanka
For information on the toll caused directly by the tsunamis, see the Sri Lanka information on the earthquake page
The main highway in the south of Sri Lanka runs along the coast and was closed in the aftermath of the tsunami, delaying relief supplies. A huge initial effort to deliver supplies was made by large numbers of private individuals filling their own vans and pickup trucks with food, clothing and bottled water and driving to affected areas.
In Sri Lanka the first reports of measles and diarrhoea reached authorities, renewing fears of a deadly epidemic. However, relief operations based in the capital Colombo are well underway. At least four trucks loaded with relief supplies heading north to Tamil regions were commandeered by Sinhalese mobs and minor government officials. Sri Lanka has been torn with ethnic strife for two decades and the crisis has led the Sri Lankan government and rebel Tamil Tigers to increase the level of invective. The World Food Program refused to comment on the incident. Tensions were further illustrated when an angry crowd of Tamils confronted the vice-president when he visited the north to view the damage.
On Thursday morning, relief efforts stopped and people fled when the Indian government warned of another possible tsunami.
Author Sir Arthur C Clarke, who lives in Sri Lanka, has issued a statement saying that Sri Lanka "lacks the resources and capacity to cope with the aftermath". Clarke reported that not all of his staff have been accounted for and that his diving school had been destroyed.
Sri Lanka's most popular sport is cricket, and the Australian, Bangladeshi, English and South African cricket teams have already announced that they are making donations to the humanitarian effort in Sri Lanka and other Asian countries. The Indian cricket team has pledged funds to the humanitarian effort in southern India. The cricketing world has already announced that a one-day match will be played to raise further funds. [2]
Indonesia
For information on the direct toll of the earthquake and tsunamis, see the Indonesia section of the earthquake article.
The full toll in Indonesia is not yet known. Although Indonesia was the first and worst hit of countries in the region, it is the last to begin receiving relief aid. One of the most pressing concerns at the moment is the inability to distribute sufficient aid due to a lack of accessible roads and a shortage of available helicopters ([3]). What little aid has reached the remote regions of Aceh province is trickling in primarily by by boat and air. Two large aftershocks on Wednesday caused many residents, traumatized by their experience, to flee from the coast.
There are significant bottlenecks created by lack of infrastructure and red tape. The United Nation's Children's Fund reported on Thursday that aid for 200,000 people, including medical supplies, soap and tarpaulin, was being held at Jakarta for a day to clear customs. The US consul in Medan in southern Sumatra reported that there aid was piling up at the airports of Medan and Banda Aceh because there were not enough trucks to transport it.
Over one thousand bodies found on the streets on the provincial capital of Banda Aceh were placed in mass graves without waiting for identification as officials frantically try to keep the sanitation situation from worsening. Looting of food has been reported throughout Sumatra as aid has proved slow to arrive. An accurate picture of the damage is made difficult due to the insurgency of the separatist Free Aceh Movement (also known as GAM or Gerakan Aceh Merdeka), which means that there were relatively few journalists, government offices, or aid workers in northern Sumatra. On Monday the government lifted the 18-month-old ban prohibiting foreign journalists and aid workers from traveling to Aceh. Also on Monday, a spokesperson for the Free Aceh Movement declared a ceasefire so humanitarian aid could reach survivors, and so as not to complicate the already devastating situation.
Fifteen thousand troops, who were in the region to fight the insurgency, have been dispatched to render assistance and to search for survivors. However, many soldiers and their families were themselves killed. Three days of national mourning have been declared. The central government has declared the local Acehnese government as totally crippled and have declared that all administrative control will be handled directly from Jakarta.
While the airfield outside Banda Aceh is functioning, most of the other small gravel airfields were damaged by the earthquake and tsunami. As most of the few roads in the region were on the coast because of the rugged interior, much of the transportation infrastructure was damaged or destroyed. Helicopters and Indonesian navy ships off the coast supplied a small amount of aid.
Four planes carrying aid were sent by Australia and one from the US carrying an evaluation team. An Australian ship carrying helicopters set sail, but will not reach Sumatra until January 14, 2005. A U.S. Navy aircraft carrier battle group centered on USS Abraham Lincoln has been dispatched to assist Aceh. A decision to divert a three-ship fleet carrying 2000 Marines out of Diego Garcia has not yet been made. The Marines were bound for Iraq to assist in the January elections, but, the fleet includes a dozen heavy-lift helicopters and surgical hospitals, both badly needed in Indonesia. The centerpiece of the US relief operation is the Thai base of Utapao.
Contributing countries and supra-national organizations
Governments, humanitarian organisations, Asian expatriates and individuals around the world have scrambled to offer aid and technical support. Individuals include Li Ka Shing, a Hong Kong tycoon and the richest man in East Asia, who pledged three million US dollars towards aid for victims and rebuilding because he was "saddened by the huge suffering caused by the disaster" ([4]). The World Bank estimates the amount of aid needed at USD 5 billion ([5]). Although countries are providing relief funds, the UN has criticized both the US and Europe for allocating inadequate resources.
Criticism of the U.S.
Before the full extent of destruction caused by the tsunamis was known, the United States pledged $15,000,000. Aid from the U.S. Military was also being added to the number of dollars the U.S. had pledged. Some U.S. forces were being used to fly in food and medical equipment. The US government, led by President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell, reacted with annoyance to the statement and have added another USD 20 million to their original aid amount bringing the total up to USD 35 million, not including direct aid to be rendered by naval vessels dispatched to the region ([6]). The United States came under heavy criticism from abroad, UN Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland reportedly categorized the response of the United States to the disaster as "stingy", but later claimed to have been "misinterpreted". On December 31 the US aid was increased ten fold to $350 million ([7]), with President Bush saying that that amount will probably inrease. Speaking at a press conference the following day, Mr. Egeland stated, "I've been misinterpreted when I yesterday said that I believed that rich countries in general can be more generous". He also stated "It has nothing to do with any particular country or the response to this emergency. We are in early days and the response has so far been overwhelmingly positive" ([8]). Australia, India, Japan and the United States have announced that they will co-ordinate aid efforts in an attempt to streamline assistance.
List of major donors
The following table is a partial listing of cash commitments from various governments and nongovernmental organizations, taken from the UN, the BBC and other sources ([9] [10]):
| Country | Government | NGOs & Public |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | $67.45m (USD 52.6m) | $20m (USD 15.4m) |
| Canada | CAD 58m (USD 48m), plus debt moratorium [11] | CAD 8.5m (USD 7m) |
| Denmark | DKK 300m (USD 54.95m) | USD 7.5m |
| European Union | €33m (USD 44m) | n/a |
| Finland | €22.16m | €4.5m by Finnish RedCross donations [12] |
| France | €42m (USD 57m) | ? |
| Germany | €20m (USD 26m) | ? |
| Hong Kong | HKD 50m (USD 6.41m) | HKD 240m (USD 30.77m) |
| Ireland | €12m (USD 16m) | Over €3m [13] |
| Italy | € 3m (USD 3.9m) | € 12.7m (USD 17.2m) by SMS donors[14] |
| Japan | USD 500m [15] | ? |
| Kuwait | USD 2.1m | ? |
| Netherlands | €27m (USD 36m) | ? |
| Norway | NOK 100m (USD 16.4m) | ? |
| Portugal | €8m (USD 10.9m) | ? |
| China, PR (mainland) | CNY 522m (USD 63m) [16] | ? |
| Qatar | USD 10m [17] | ? |
| Republic of China (Taiwan) | USD 5.1m | ? |
| Spain | €51m (USD 69m) | ? |
| Saudi Arabia | USD 10m | ? |
| Singapore | SGD 6m (USD 3.6m) [18] | ? |
| Sweden | SEK 500m (USD 75m) [19] | ? |
| Switzerland | CHF 27m (USD 23.8m) | CHF 21m (USD 18.5m) |
| United Arab Emirates | USD 2.0m | ? |
| United Kingdom | £50m (USD 96m) [20] | £52.7m (USD 101m) [21] |
| United States | USD 350m [22] | USD 80m corporations [23] + 44m from individuals [24] |
| World Bank | USD 250m [25] | n/a |
Asia and Oceania
| Australia | After committing an initial AUD 10 million (USD 7.7 million) to the relief effort, that was distributed to international aid organisations, the Australian Government announced on December 29th and 31st, 2004 that two additional disbursements of AUD 25 million (USD 18.1 million) each would be committed [26]; AUD 10 million to aid organisations, AUD 10 million to Indonesia, and AUD 5 million (USD 3.6 million) to Sri Lanka. Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer has indicated Australia will offer further aid as needed. In addition, the Governments of the ACT, New South Wales, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia have all pledged monetary assistance to combined total of AUD 7.45 million. The Australian public has raised over AUD 20 million (USD 15.4 million) so far. Some controversy was raised on New Year's Eve, when some local councils - such as that of Townsville - cancelled their festive celebrations to donate the money to the crisis, while others, such as Brisbane, were criticized for not doing so, although they did take donations at the door. The Perth City Council also drew strong criticism when it refused to allow people to collect donations at the city's New Year celebrations. Three Royal Australian Air Force C-130 Hercules were immediately dispatched, laden with essentials such as medical supplies, water purification units, blankets and bottled water. Two more Hercules are on route, and once supplies are delivered, they will remain in the region to ferry more supplies to the affected areas. Ten medical specialists are also on board. Two AFP body identification teams, diplomatic staff and medical supplies are on route to Thailand aboard a donated Virgin Blue flight. Teams of medical and emergency professional are being continuingly sent. |
| Cambodia | The Royal Cambodian Government has donated USD 40,000 to India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, USD 10,000 for each country. See Xinthua news report |
| China, PR (mainland) | The PRC government will send RMB 521.63 million (USD 63 million) to South and Southeast Asia. |
| Hong Kong SAR (China, PR) | As of 2004 Dec 31, citizens of Hong Kong have donated a total of HKD 240 million (USD 30.77 million) (CRHK).
Hutchison Whampoa Limited and Li Ka Shing Foundation of Hong Kong announced on 2004 Dec 28 that they would donate HKD 24 million (USD 3.08 million) for the relief fund. Performer Karen Joy Morris (aka. Karen Man Wai Mok) pledged to donate HKD 200 thousand (Ming Pao). Performers of EEG also pledged to donate a total sum of HKD 630 thousand. Hong Kong Jockey Club will donate HKD 1 for each dollar it received from donors. MTR will donate HKD 0.5 for each passenger trip on January 2, 2005. KCR donated all the fares collected in the four-hour extention of train services on January 1, 2005. Various NGOs, companies and individuals have set off to the affected countries to offer assistance. The government of Hong Kong has sent 120 personnels to help Hongkongers and search for missing people. Police and medical teams are stand-by to offer assistance. |
| India | The federal government has pledged INR 1 billion (USD $23 million) to Sri Lanka and Maldives in addition to warships and aircraft to distribute relief supplies. A federal budgetary allocation of INR 7 billion (USD 160 million) has been earmarked for immediate distribution to affected Indian provinces. |
| Japan | Japan will provide USD 500m in aid to affected countries, and will send three navy vessels to waters off Thailand to help search for missing people. |
| Malaysia | Malaysia has also sent rescue teams abroad to as local damage were minimal and this freed the Special Malaysian Rescue Team (Smart) to fly to Indonesia. The team 73-member combination unit from Smart, Red Crescent Society and the Fire and Rescue Department were sent to medan with food supply, medicine and clothing for about 2,000 victims. An additional military doctors team in a CN 235 aircraft and a Nuri helicopter were also sent to Acheh. Further aid are being sent using C130 transport aircraft. MERCY (Malaysian Medical Relief Society) Malaysia, a volunteer body for humanitarian relief consisting of doctors and nurses have also flown to Sri Lanka. Currently, it has two teams based in Kesdam Military Hospital, one of the 2 surviving hospitals in Banda Acheh. |
| New Zealand | The New Zealand government announced it will donate NZD 5 million (USD 3.6 million), and an airforce (RNZAF) C-130 Hercules has been sent for evacuation and transport of relief supplies. The New Zealand government also announced that it would match, dollar for dollar, the amount pledged by its citizens to various charities. As of 31 December 2004, this equates to a further NZD 4 million. New Zealand has also sent an RNZAF 757 aircraft to the Thai city of Phuket with a specialist vicim identification team on board. |
| Pakistan | The government of Pakistan has announced a PKR 10 million (USD 0.2 million) relief package for the earthquake victims of Sri Lanka. This consists of goods such as tents, medicines, drinking water and food items. Additional aid has been promised. |
| Singapore | The Singaporean government has pledged SGD 500,000 (USD 0.3 million) to the Singapore Red Cross Society to help them start an appeal for public donations. A Singapore Armed Forces medical team is on standby to fly to Indonesia to help. Singapore is also dispatching an emergency consular team to Phuket and sending SGD 2 million (USD 1.2 million)of aid to the countries affected. |
| South Korea | The South Korean Government has pledged an aditional $1.4 million on December 28 in addition to an earlier offer of support of $600,000. A 20-person emergency aid team consisting of 5 medical specialists, nurses and administrative staff has been dispatched to Sri Lanka by The Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare and a medical aid group. On December 29, a shipment with medicine and medical supplies worth 200 million Won ($192,000) will follow the team. |
| Republic of China (Taiwan) | The ROC government has donated USD 5.0 million and several tons of emergency supplies and to affected areas. Hundreds of technicians and relief workers have been dispatched in humanitarian aid efforts. |
Europe
| Austria | The government has sent EUR 1 million (USD 1.3 million). |
| Belgium | Both the Flemish and Federal governments have sent EUR 0.5 million each. Various organisations such as Artsen zonder Grenzen are sending medical teams. |
| Croatia | The Croatian government has decided to allocate 4,000,000 HRK (520,000 EUR) for aid to the stricken region. The amount shall be split equally between India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand. |
| Czech Republic | The Czech government will give aid worth EUR 328,000 (USD 0.5 million), in various forms. |
| Denmark | The Danish government will give aid worth DKr 300 million (EUR 40.38 million.)
Danish PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that Denmar will increase this ammount if it is deemed necessary by the UN or emergency relief organisations. |
| Finland | The Finnish government allocated EUR 4,500,000 to help the victims of the tsunamis. In addition, EUR 75,000 and a field hospital from the Finnish Red Cross and EUR 25,000 from Save the Children Finland will be sent. |
| France | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced on December 29th a first aid of EUR 22.16 million. EUR 15 million have been allocated to the UN's agencies and Red Cross, while EUR 1.56 million should be used for the immediat assistancy. Another EUR 5.6 million part of this sum is the fisrt french participation to the european aid. EUR 20 million have been pledged on December 30th, mostly for clean water installations. EUR 100 000 have been given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on December 27th, and a plane with 100 rescue personnel and 800kg of medical supplies was sent. |
| Germany | The German government has initially allocated EUR 20 million (USD 26 million) for immediate aid. Fast-response teams of the governmental technical relief organisation (THW) were sent to Thailand and Sri Lanka for rescue purposes on December 28th, together with drinking water purification equipment to be installed in Galle (Sri Lanka). During the last weeks, several medical and supporting units of the german armed forces have been sent to the region, including a supporting frigate and medevac airlifts. Australian and german forces have joined to build a large-scale field hospital at the scene. The German chancellor has proposed to release the most affected countries from their debts and to create a scheme under which every EU nation "adopts" (where one has to note that the german word for adoption or godparenthood has a less demeaning undertone than the english one) one of the most severly affected countries and ensures long-lasting aid. Apart from the official responses, the german population has raised a large sum of donations for which no official numbers are available yet (as of 1/1/05) and numerous help organisations (including the german red cross and many smaller NGOs) have deployed teams in the area. |
| Greece | Greece will allocate EUR 300,000 (USD 0.4 million) to the Maldives and Sri Lanka, and two planes will carry to those countries over 6 tons of humanitarian materials. |
| Hungary | Hungary sent a medical and rescue team of 10 as well as two containers and ten pallets of emergency goods to Thailand and Srí Lanka. |
| Iceland | The Icelandic government has pledged 5 million ISK (USD 70.000) to the Icelandic Red Cross [27] which will "make sure the money gets into the right hands". An aeroplane from Loftleiðir Icelandic (a subsidiary of Flugleiðir) Phuket island departed from Iceland on December 28, 2004 to pick up Swedish survivors; along for the ride are a little under 10 tons of Iceland Spring Water manufactured by Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson [28] |
| Ireland, Republic of | The Irish government pledged €12 million (USD 16 million) in response to the earthquake-caused disaster in South Asia [29]. |
| Italy | The CEI (Italian Conference of Bishops) has already sent 100,000 euros (part of a donation of USD 1,700,000 from Caritas Internationalis) and is collecting national donations [30]. Private moneyraising efforts coordinated by newspapers and telephony companies have collected more than EUR 12,600,000 ([31]). The government has pledged EUR 3 million (USD 3.9 million). As of December 31, 5 Italian flights have arrived Sri Lanka carrying an advanced team of 8 experts of the Italian Civil Protection Department with 50 tons of equipment and goods (2 field hospitals, 20 doctors and medical staff, medical kits, field kitchens, water pumps, water storages, etc.) |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg has announced it will donate at least EUR 1,000,000 (USD 1.3 million) as humanitarian aid. |
| Netherlands | The Dutch government has reserved EUR 27 million (USD 36 million) for aid to the affected area. The Dutch Red Cross has dedicated EUR 100,000 (USD 0.1 million) for emergency aid. Several private initiatives have started, which vary from calls to give money to Samenwerkende Hulporganisaties (Giro 555) to collecting food and other supplies for the affected areas. These initiatives have raised EUR 9.3 million. |
| Norway | The Norwegian government has allocated NOK 100 million (USD 16.4 million) to be distributed to the UN, the Red Cross and other aid organisations. The prime minister has also pledged to provide more funds as needed in aid relief coordinated by the United Nations. The Royal Norwegian Air Force and Scandinavian Airlines have established airlift shuttles in order to provide emergency transport services between Thailand and Scandinavia for as long as is necessary. |
| Poland | The Polish government will donate PLN 1 million (USD 0.3 million) to Polish aid non-governmental organizations. |
| Portugal | The Portuguese government has approved EUR 8 million (USD 10,9 million) in aid to victims of the tragedy. The country has already sent a plane with relief supplies to Sri Lanka, and the Government has announced that a second plane with humanitarian aid would be sent in next days, this time to Indonesia. |
| Romania | The Romanian government has approved EUR 32,000 worth of medical aid, tents and beds to Sri Lanka. |
| Russia | Two transport planes of the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations landed on Sri Lanka December 27, carrying humanitarian aid. The planes were carrying 110 tents and 2200 blankets with a total weight of 25 tons, Russia also sent a rescue helicopter Bo-105, on board of which rescuers will fly over the area of the calamity and will search for and evacuate people. One more plane sent December 30 with tents, drinking water, water cleaning stations and other humanitarian aid.[32] |
| Slovenia | The Slovenian government has approved 20 million SIT (EUR 84,500) for immediate delivery. |
| Spain | The Spanish government has approved an aid package totaling EUR 51 million (USD 69,3 million): EUR 1 million (USD 1,3 million), for inmediate delivery, have been allocated to the relief shipments conducted by the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation (AECI) and the NGOs. EUR 50 million line of credit, with favorable terms that include long periods of repayment and low interest, will support the reconstruction efforts in all countries affected by the quake. Two cargo planes with humanitarian aid took off on December 28 to Sri Lanka and another three, of the AECI and the Red Cross, were dispatched on December 31 to Sumatra in Indonesia and Thailand. The Governments of several Autonomous communities have approved their particular aid packages for urgent delivery: Galicia (EUR 500,000), Madrid (300,000), Basque Country, (150,000), Andalucia (150,000), Valencian Community (150,000), Balearic Islands (150,000), Castilla-La Mancha (140,000), Catalonia (130.000) and La Rioja (66,000). |
| Sweden | SEK 500 million (USD 75 million) will be distributed through SIDA, the Swedish International Development Agency. The Swedish Salvation Army has donated SEK 1 million (USD 150,000). The government is also supplying tents and blankets to Sri Lanka. Further assistance to be supplied if so requested, primarily by the UN. 25 personnel have been sent to the disaster area for search and rescue operations. A team from the police force has been sent to Thailand to help with the identification of the dead. An airlift operation has been engaged to fly home the approximately 20.000 Swedish citizens who are in the area. According to the Government all of which should be home before January 4. Swedish media has criticized the government for not doing enough for their nationals and for others. |
| Switzerland | The Swiss government has allocated CHF 27 million (USD 23.8 million). Four teams of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) have been deployed in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Another team of SHA and WHO doctors and logisticians is on the way to the Maldives. Various relief organizations contributed CHF 1 million. The ongoing appeal for donations organized by the Glückskette has resulted in CHF 20 million being collected and is still going on. January 3 will be national donation day. |
| United Kingdom |
|
| Vatican City | The Pope has authorized the immediate release of USD 6 million, which are to be delivered to the International Red Cross, for use in the humanitarian relief effort. |
Near East and Africa
| Iran | Iran has sent 221 tons of relief supplies consisting of medications, tents, blankets, clothes and foodstuff to Indonesia as well as donating USD 675,000 through the Red Crescent. |
| Israel | Israel has sent baby food and medicines worth some USD 100,000 to the affected countries. In addition, an Israeli medical team was dispatched to Sri Lanka. An offer of assistance to India in the form of a search and rescue team as well as food and medicine has been extended. [34] |
| Kuwait | The Kuwaiti government has donated KWD 500,000 (USD 1.7 million) as humanitarian aid. |
| Mozambique | The Mozambique government has given a "symbolic" [35] USD 100,000 to an aid appeal, and is encouraging businesses and individuals to donate to accounts set up by the local Red Cross. |
| Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia has pledged a USD 10 million aid package consisting of USD 5 million worth of food, tents and medicine, to be transported and distributed via the Saudi Red Crescent and another USD 5 million in funds which will be given to several international aid groups such as the Red Cross and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. |
| Turkey | Hit in August and November 1999 by a series of earthquakes that killed over 20,000, Turkey announced that it will donate TRY 1.7 millions (USD 1.25 million), which will be used in reconstruction projects and be allocated to Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Maldives. Türk Kızılayı is also collecting funds. |
| UAE | USD 2 million and 30 tons of food and medicine in the care of the Red Crescent, which is to deliver them to India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka [36]. |
Americas
| Brazil | The Brazilian government is awaiting a UN decision on joint humanitarian aid. In the meantime, initial emergency aid of 10 tons of food and 8 tons of medicine will be delivered to Thailand and India by the Brazilian Air Force. In the country, private citizens and small businesses have organized a national effort to collect food, medicine and clothes for the populations affected. Several tons are to be handed to the local embassies and consulates of the countries affected. |
| Canada | The Canadian government has pledged CAD 40 million (USD 33 million), an increase to the original figure of CAD 4 million offered by the federal government, as an immediate contribution toward the aid effort and will also be providing blankets, water purification devices, and generators through the Canadian International Development Agency. The Canadian federal government has also announced a debt moratorium for the countries most severely impacted by the tsunamis.[37] Also, Canada may send its DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) to the region.[38] In addition to the federal funds, the provincial government of British Columbia has given CAD 8 million (USD 6.6 million) to the Canadian Red Cross, the provincial governments of Ontario and Alberta have each pledged CAD 5 million (USD 4.1 million), the provincial governments of Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia have each given CAD 100,000 (USD 82,000), and the provincial governments of the Northwest Territories and Prince Edward Island have pledged CAD 25,000 and 20,000 respectively. [39] |
| Chile | The Chilean government has set up a group of four physicians, one engineer and one architect that will fly to Indonesia on January 1, 2005 and will remain there for twenty days. In addition, it has opened a special bank account for public donations. |
| Mexico | The Mexican federal government has pledged a small aid package of an initial US$100,000 (MXN 1,000,000), announced by Interior Secretary Santiago Creel, while search teams have been dispached by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE). These teams are experienced following the 1985 Mexico City earthquakes that killed thousands and could be helpful in the rescue of trapped and buried victims. The Mexican Red Cross has also invited Mexican Citizens to give aid which will be distributed amongst local agencies. |
| United States | The United States government has allocated US$400,000 (£200,000, 300,000€) to India, Indonesia, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka. Officials are currently working on a $4 million (£2 million) aid package to help the Red Cross. Also, the United States has dispatched disaster teams to aid the nations affected. The United States is also preparing an initial $15 million (£8 million) aid package for affected nations. An additional $20 million (£11 million) has been offered as an emergency line of credit. On New Year's Eve, the aid was raised to $350 million (£190 million, €260 million).
The United States has dispatched two C-5 Galaxy strategic airlifters and ten C-130 Hercules tactical airlifters containing disaster supplies, nine P-3C Orion aircraft for search and rescue support, and several teams from the Departments of State and Defense to coordinate additional assistance. They are using Utapao Naval Air Base in Thailand as their regional hub. Additionally, the United States has offered assistance from its troops stationed in Japan. USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier battle group, which was in port in Hong Kong, was dispatched to the coast of Sumatra to provide support to the Indonesian province of Aceh. In addition, a amphibious battlegroup led by USS Bonhomme Richard, scheduled for a port call in Guam, were dispatched to render assistance. All these ships carry a total of 29 helicopters to assist in relief support, and each ship can produce 90,000 gallons of fresh water per day. |
Contributing multilateral and relief organisations
| ADRA | Silver Spring, Maryland--The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is continuing its response in India, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the Andaman Islands to assist those affected by last Sunday's quake and tsunami.
ADRA has set up a crisis command center in Bangkok, Thailand to coordinate its network-wide response. ADRA International is urgently soliciting emergency donations for this response. To rapidly respond to this disaster only monetary donations are being accepted at this time. Donations can be made to the Asia Tsunami Crisis Fund online www.adra.org/Donation.htmlor by calling 800-424-ADRA (2372). See more information at www.adra.org. |
| African Union | The African Union Commission Chairman Alpha Oumar Konaré has announced that the organisation will putforward USD 100,000 towards disaster relief. [40] |
| American Friends Service Committee | Building on AFSC programs and contacts in Asia, AFSC is providing relief and planning longer-term recovery, particularly to those who might be overlooked by other agencies or relief programs. See the website at www.afsc.org. |
| European Union | The EU is providing immediate emergency aid of EUR 3 million (USD 4.1 million) for victims to meet "initial vital needs", with more substantial aid (30 million EUR) to be provided later. |
| IFRCS | In Geneva, the IFRCS appealed for CHF 7.5 million (about USD 6.6 million) for "immediate support" to an estimated 500,000 survivors. |
| IRW | Islamic Relief Worldwide has increased its emergency appeal to USD 5 million. This includes an initial USD 270,650 for relief and rehabilitation intervention in the region, and USD 27,000 to meet the immediate needs of victims in Sri Lanka. [41] |
| Médecins Sans Frontières | MSF is dispatching 32 tons of relief supplies to Sumatra; medical and assessment teams have been sent to many of the affected areas. [42] [43] |
| UNHCR | The UNHCR in Sri Lanka is opening up its local relief stockpiles to deliver immediate emergency assistance. [44] |
| UNICEF | Clothing and more than 30,000 blankets and sleeping mats to Sri Lanka 1,600 water tanks, 30,000 blankets, medical supplies and hundreds of thousands of water purification pills to India Similar supplies to Indonesia and the Maldives[45]. |
| United Nations Development Program | USD 100,000 each to Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, the Maldives and Thailand to help them assess and coordinate emergency needs[46]. |
| United Nations Population Fund | Up to USD 1 million and extra staff to help ensure that the special health needs of pregnant and nursing women were met [47]. |
| Medical Institute of Tamils | Providing urgent medical assistance [48]. |
| The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints | Providing various forms of assistance [49]. |
| Lions Clubs International | USD 200,000 from the Lions Clubs International Foundation has been distributed through Lions clubs in the affected areas. Other pledges of support have been received including 120,000 from the Lions of Sweden and 200,000 from the Lions of Korea. |
Contributing corporations
| Pfizer | $35m ($10m cash; $25m drugs) [50] |
| Coca-Cola | $10m |
| Bristol-Myers Squibb | $5m ($1m cash; $4m drugs) [51] |
| Exxon Mobil | $5m [52] |
| BP | $3m |
| Abbott Laboratories | $4m ($2m cash; $2m drugs) [54] |
| Microsoft | $3.5m [55] |
| Citigroup | $3m [56] |
| J.P. Morgan Chase | $3m [57] |
| Royal Dutch/Shell Group | $3m [58] |
| UBS AG | $3m [59] |
| Cisco Systems | $2.5m [60] |
| Wal-Mart Stores | $2m [61] |
| Johnson & Johnson | $2m + drugs [62] |
| Vodafone | £1m ($1.95m) |
| Tetra Laval Group | $1.5m (including provision of liquid foods) [63] |
| Deutsche Telekom | €1m (~$1.4m) [64] |
| Siemens AG | €1m [65] |
| Allianz Group | €1m [66] |
| BASF | €1m [67] |
| Altana | €750,000 (~$1.05) [68] |
| Boeing | $1m [69] |
| Nike | $1m |
| Merrill Lynch | $1m [70] |
| American Express | $1m |
| General Electric | $1m [71] |
| First Data Corp. | $1m [72] |
| General Motors | $1m [73] |
| HSBC | $1m [74] |
| ING | $1m [75] |
| Qantas | AUD $1m + flights page detailing the response by Qantas. |
| Bayer | €500,000 (~$700,000) [76] |
| Nestlé | CHF640,000 ($560,000) [77] |
| The Home Depot | $500,000 [78] |
| Texas Instruments | $500,000 [79] |
| Carrefour | €300,000 ($~420,000) [80] |
| Hitachi | Yen 20m (~$200,000) [81] |
| Altria | $150,000 [82] |
| MTR Corporation Limited | HKD $0.5 per passenger trip on January 2 2005 Projected goal: HKD 1 million (roughly USD $128,000) [83]. |
| KCR Corporation | All fares collected during the 4-hour extention service on January 1, 2005 morning. |
| Fonterra | Milk powder and infant formula throughout the region |
Merck & Co., Roche Group and GlaxoSmithKline also intend to donate. [84]
Contributing individuals and philanthropists
| Li Ka-shing, a Hong Kong tycoon and the richest man in East Asia, has pledged USD 3m (through Hutchison Whampoa Limited and Li Ka Shing Foundation of Hong Kong) towards aid for victims and rebuilding because he was "saddened by the huge suffering caused by the disaster". |
| The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has also donated USD 3m. |
| Amazon.com posted a page on their website accepting donations for the American Red Cross, and within 72 hours had collected USD 10m. These donations come from Amazon website visitors. The Amazon corporation has not actually made a donation, other than the bandwidth and code to host the donation box. |
| In Ireland, the non-denominational charity Concern received an anonymous donation of EUR 500,000. |
| Sulekha.com has partnered with Association for India's Development (AID) to raise money for the relief efforts in India following the devastating earthquake/tsunami that has claimed thousands of lives. AID is a reputed social service organization run by volunteers all across the world; being a voluntary organization, and with strong grass roots presence in South India as well, AID is geared to maximize the impact of your relief contributions. See website at [85]] |
| The Los Angeles based rock group Linkin Park has started an organization called Music for Relief ([86]) with an initial donation of USD 100,000 ([87]). It will directly support American Red Cross ([88]) programs. Over the summer, Linkin Park played sold-out stadium shows in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, which all suffered tsunami fatalities. |