Haiti's been pretty much destroyed. Who will be the first to help?

[Fury]

That's right, the people of the USA and that mean old government. Chances of China or the other world powers lending a hand? Close to 0.

[Soul Crusher]

That's right, the people of the USA and that mean old government. Chances of China or the other world powers lending a hand? Close to 0.

Lets see if Saudia Arabia, Iran, Venzuela, Mexico, et all send anything over there. 

[Fury]

Lets see if Saudia Arabia, Iran, Venzuela, Mexico, et all send anything over there. 

Hahaha! Good one. Those "wonderful" countries won't do shit.

[MB_722]

[240 is Back]

Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed

By John Solomon and Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, April 29, 2007

As the winds and water of Hurricane Katrina were receding, presidential confidante Karen Hughes sent a cable from her State Department office to U.S. ambassadors worldwide.

Titled "Echo-Chamber Message" -- a public relations term for talking points designed to be repeated again and again -- the Sept. 7, 2005, directive was unmistakable: Assure the scores of countries that had pledged or donated aid at the height of the disaster that their largesse had provided Americans "practical help and moral support" and "highlight the concrete benefits hurricane victims are receiving."

Many of the U.S. diplomats who received the message, however, were beginning to witness a more embarrassing reality. They knew the U.S. government was turning down many allies' offers of manpower, supplies and expertise worth untold millions of dollars. Eventually the United States also would fail to collect most of the unprecedented outpouring of international cash assistance for Katrina's victims.

Allies offered $854 million in cash and in oil that was to be sold for cash. But only $40 million has been used so far for disaster victims or reconstruction, according to U.S. officials and contractors. Most of the aid went uncollected, including $400 million worth of oil. Some offers were withdrawn or redirected to private groups such as the Red Cross. The rest has been delayed by red tape and bureaucratic limits on how it can be spent.


In addition, valuable supplies and services -- such as cellphone systems, medicine and cruise ships -- were delayed or declined because the government could not handle them. In some cases, supplies were wasted.

The struggle to apply foreign aid in the aftermath of the hurricane, which has cost U.S. taxpayers more than $125 billion so far, is another reminder of the federal government's difficulty leading the recovery. Reports of government waste and delays or denials of assistance have surfaced repeatedly since hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck in 2005.

Administration officials acknowledged in February 2006 that they were ill prepared to coordinate and distribute foreign aid and that only about half the $126 million received had been put to use. Now, 20 months after Katrina, newly released documents and interviews make clear the magnitude of the troubles.

More than 10,000 pages of cables, telegraphs and e-mails from U.S. diplomats around the globe -- released piecemeal since last fall under the Freedom of Information Act -- provide a fuller account of problems that, at times, mystified generous allies and left U.S. representatives at a loss for an explanation. The documents were obtained by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a public interest group, which provided them to The Washington Post.

In one exchange, State Department officials anguished over whether to tell Italy that its shipments of medicine, gauze and other medical supplies spoiled in the elements for weeks after Katrina's landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, and were destroyed. "Tell them we blew it," one disgusted official wrote. But she hedged: "The flip side is just to dispose of it and not come clean. I could be persuaded."

In another instance, the Department of Homeland Security accepted an offer from Greece on Sept. 3, 2005, to dispatch two cruise ships that could be used free as hotels or hospitals for displaced residents. The deal was rescinded Sept. 15 after it became clear a ship would not arrive before Oct. 10. The U.S. eventually paid $249 million to use Carnival Cruise Lines vessels.

And while television sets worldwide showed images of New Orleans residents begging to be rescued from rooftops as floodwaters rose, U.S. officials turned down countless offers of allied troops and search-and-rescue teams. The most common responses: "sent letter of thanks" and "will keep offer on hand," the new documents show.

Overall, the United States declined 54 of 77 recorded aid offers from three of its staunchest allies: Canada, Britain and Israel, according to a 40-page State Department table of the offers that had been received as of January 2006.

[240 is Back]

Pledges and donations from countries Following Hurricane Katrina
Below is a list of countries who offered aid. Some of these efforts were not formally accepted by the U.S.



Afghanistan
Donated $100,000 to the hurricane victims.[3]
Albania
Donated $300,000.[4]
Argentina
Made offers of help and assistance. Argentina also dispatched an elite team of bilingual mental health professionals.[5]
Armenia
Pledged $200,000 and made offers of help and assistance.[6]
Australia
AUD 10 million (approximately USD 8-9 Million), and a team of 20 emergency response officers immediately. Donated AUD 10 million to American Red Cross.[7]
Austria
140 specialists of the AFDRU were put on stand-by. Their focus was to have been on providing clean water with portable water-treatment plants. Within the EU Emergency Assistance for Katrina, Austria set up a communication network using IT and communication equipment for assistance/support, provided 10 sets petrol driven dirty water pumps, 500 pieces tarps/plastic sheeting and 300 camp beds.[8]
Azerbaijan
Donated $500,000.[9]
The Bahamas
Pledged $50,000.
Bahrain
Donated $5 million.[10]
Bangladesh
Donated humanitarian aid worth $1 million and said it would send 160 disaster management experts, including doctors, nurses, engineers and others.
Belarus
Made offers of help and assistance.
Belgium
Offered 3 Medical teams of 31 personnel, logistic team of 10 personnel, coordination team of 4 personnel, civil engineering team of 10 personnel, diving team, and also balloon-lamps, low and high capacity pumps and small generators.[8]
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Made offers of help and assistance.
Brunei
Donated $1 million.[10]
Cambodia
The king donated $20,000 to match the $20,000 Cambodian government donation.
Canada
Main article: Canadian response to Hurricane Katrina
September 5, 35 military divers were poised to depart by air Sunday from Halifax and Esquimalt, B.C., for the New Orleans area.September 4, On the request from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Canada sent thousands of beds, blankets, surgical gloves and dressings and other medical supplies. On September 2 the Government of Canada announced it was sending three warships along with a Coast Guard vessel, and three Sea King helicopters to the area. Over 1,000 personnel are involved in the operation, including engineers and navy divers. The Canadian Heavy Urban Search and Rescue out of Vancouver was in Louisiana from September 1, due to security they started their mission on Sept 3. Ontario Hydro, Hydro-Québec, and Manitoba Hydro, along with other electrical utilities, had crews set to go to the affected areas. On September 2 Air Canada participated along with U.S. member airlines of the Air Transport Association, in a voluntary airline industry initiative to support rescue and relief operations. Money donations although where very high, the province of Alberta alone threw in 5 million dollars alone. Although it is hard to put an exact number on Canadian cash donations because of some Canadians donating directly to the American agencies, but it is thought to be one of the highest international donors nation.
Chile
Made offers of help and assistance.
People's Republic of China
On September 2, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it will offer $5 million along with emergency supplies, including 1,000 tents, 600 generators, bed sheets, immediately for disaster relief. China also offered to send medical care and rescue workers if they were needed.[11] This aid package consisting of 104 tons of supplies later arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas.[12] A chartered plane carrying the supplies arrived on September 7.[13]
Colombia
Made offers of help and assistance.
Cuba
One of the first countries to offer aid, Cuba offered to send 1,586 doctors and 26 tons of medicine. This aid was rejected by the State Department.[14]
Cyprus
Offered $50,000.
Czech Republic
Offered rescue teams, field hospital and pumps and water processing equipment.
Denmark
Offered Water purification units.[8]
Djibouti
Offered $50,000.[2]
Dominica
Offered police to monitor hard-hit areas.
Dominican Republic
Offered rescue workers, doctors and nurses.
Ecuador
Made offers of help and assistance.
Egypt
Sent 2 C-130 planes loaded with blankets, medical equipment, and canned food.
El Salvador
Offered to send troops to help keep order in New Orleans.

[240 is Back]

Pledges and donations from countries Following Hurricane Katrina

Equatorial Guinea
Pledged $500,000.
Finland
Sent Finn Rescue Force—the group consists of 30 firemen and three Red Cross logistics experts.. Additionally Finland offered 300 tents, a water purification unit, sterile gloves, bed sheets, pillow covers, tarps and first aid kits.
France
Main article: French response to Hurricane Katrina
Concrete help was refused by the US government initially, however on September 2, Condoleezza Rice said that the US authorities would assess the situation and contact French authorities accordingly. On September 4, US authorities formally requested French assistance. France offered disaster relief stocks prepositioned in Martinique (600 tents, around 1000 beds, 60 electrogenic groups, 3 pumps, 3 water purification stations, 1000 folding jerricanes and other material). A 35-person team of the Sécurité civile (Civil defence) from Guadeloupe and Martinique were made ready, and a 60-man "catastrophe intervention" aeromobile detachment were prepared to be ferried from mainland in a short time. The Ministry of Defence offered 2 planes already in the zone and 6 more from mainland France, and two ships of the French Navy (probably the BATRAL Francis Garnier or Champlain, and the frigate Ventôse) and a 20-person team of emergency medical specialists. The non-governmental organisation Télécoms sans frontières and the company Véolia environnement offered aid in communications and water management, respectively. On September 7, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs stated that an Airbus Beluga from Toulouse with 12,7 tonnes of supplies flew to Mobile, Alabama, after a brief stop in the UK to load more food.[15] Two Casa airplanes from Martinique landed in Little Rock, Arkansas, ferrying tents, covers and 1000 rations of food for 24 hours.[8][16][17]

Gabon
Pledged $500,000.[2]

Georgia
Made offers of help and assistance.

Germany
Two German Army Airbus planes landed in Florida with about 25 tonnes of food rations to be transported to the disaster area. Further planes were prepared. Germany offered airlifting, vaccination, water purification, medical supplies including German air force hospital planes, emergency electrical power and pumping services. The aid was ready to go on German air force and chartered planes. A team of specialists from THW (German federal agency for technical relief) were planning technical measures and logistics in close contact with local authorities. A team of 89 flood fighting specialists and 5 medical personnel were dispatched from Ramstein Air Base to Louisiana by the United States Air Force. They brought 15 high performance pumps (10 pumps with a capacity of 15,000 litres per minute and 5 pumps with a capacity of 5,000 litres per minute) and 28 vehicles.[18] On Saturday, September 10 at 4:30 p.m., the THW started the first 15,000 litre pump at pumping-station No. 19. Three other 15,000 litres pumps followed. The drainage of New Orleans would have taken much more time if these pumps and the THW specialists had not been provided.[19]
The Minister-President of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate addressed a letter to the commanders of the American forces stationed in his state offering financial support to those affected by the flooding.
Another German Air Force cargo plane carrying several thousand military rations (MRE) was denied entry into US airspace since, according to US authorities, they were not certified BSE-free. This was disputed by German authorities, pointing out that they were BSE-free according to NATO rules, that US soldiers would eat them regularly during joint operations (e.g. Afghanistan) and that these meals fully complied to UN rules.[20]

Greece
Offered $85,000[21], two cruise ships to house those left homeless, a rescue team, and supplies.

Guatemala
Made offers of help and assistance.

Guyana
Made offers of help and assistance and is organizing a telethon to raise money for victims.

Honduras
Offered 135 flooding and sanitation experts.

Hungary
Pledged $5,000 and offered to send a Special Search and Rescue Team, and also five doctors.

Iceland
Offered $500,000.

India
India offered to contribute $5 million to the United States Red Cross for relief and rehabilitation of the victims. They also offered to donate medicines and large water purification systems for use in households and small communities in the stricken areas, where potable water was a key concern.[22] India sent tarps, blankets and hygiene kits. An Indian Air Force IL-76 aircraft delivered 25 tonnes of relief supplies for the Hurricane Katrina victims at the Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas on September 13, 2005.[23]

Indonesia
Offered to send 45 doctors and 155 other medical staffers and 10,000 blankets to help survivors.

Iran
Offered to send humanitarian aid and 20 million barrels (3,200,000 m3) of crude oil.[17][24]

Iraq
Pledged $1 million to the Red Cross via the Red Crescent.

Republic of Ireland
Offered to send 30 members of the Irish Defence Forces. The Irish army would have supplied thousands of ready meals, tents, blankets, water purification services and medical aid, including first aid kits, crutches and wheelchairs. The group would have included about ten experts in stress debriefing. Six of the troops would have operated two water purification plants. The Irish Government also announced it is to provide initial funding of EUR 1.2 million for the victims.

Israel
Offered field hospitals and hundreds of doctors, nurses, technicians and other experts in trauma, natural disasters and public health.[25]
An Israeli airlift arrived in Little Rock, Arkansas with an eighty-ton shipment of humanitarian aid, including baby food, diapers, water, ready-to-eat meals, clothes, tents, blankets, mattresses, stretchers, first aid kits, wheelchairs, and other medical supplies.
The Magen David Adom began "United Brotherhood Operation," which sent a plane-load of supplies and financial assistance.
IsraAid sent a delegation of medical personnel, psychologists, and experienced search-and-rescue divers. The 18-member team — which included physicians, mental health professionals, trauma specialists, logistics experts and a special unit of Israeli police divers — arrived in St. Bernard Parish and Plaquemines Parish on Sept. 10 and spent a week and a half assisting fire department search-and-rescue squads and sitting in on daily planning meetings that included local leadership and a complement of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), police, military and fire representativesmedical team.[26]
Five universities in Israel welcomed displaced American students from the affected areas and invited both undergraduate and graduate students to continue their studies in Israel.[27] In particular, medical students unable to attend the Tulane University in New Orleans can attend Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine.[28]

[Fury]

It's sad that countries like Djibouti offered aid whereas a number of the world powers aren't on that list. If some of our allies weren't offering much I can only imagine how poorly they'll help the Haitians.

[240 is Back]

MORE KATRINA DONATION OFFERINGS...

Italy
Italy offered to send two Hercules C130 cargo aircraft fitted with emergency aids, including 300 Adult camp beds, 300 blankets, 600 sheets, 1 suction pump, 6 lifecrafts, 11.200 chlorine tablets, 5 units of large first aid kits, baby food formula pumps, tents and power generators. Italy also offered to send some experts of the Protezione Civile to help coordinating relief efforts in the damaged area.[8]

Jamaica
Made offers of help and assistance.

Japan
The Japanese Foreign Ministry said that it would provide $200,000 to the American Red Cross to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina. Japan also identified needs in affected regions via the U.S. government and provided up to $300,000 in emergency supplies such as tents, blankets and power generators if they receive requests from the U.S. for such assistance. One Japanese individual, Takashi Endo, donated USD 1 million from his personal funds to Katrina relief efforts.[13]

Jordan
Made offers of help and assistance.

Kenya
Offered $100,000.[2] There were also early reports of $400 million in petroleum products being donated from Kenya, though these later proved to be erroneous.[29]

Korea, South
Offered $ 30 million and dispatched a rescue team.[13]

Kuwait
Parliament approved $500 million for aid in oil and other humanitarian aid.

Latvia
Offered a disaster relief team.

Lithuania
Made offers of help and assistance.

Luxembourg
Team of five persons, 1000 camp beds and 2000 blankets.[8]

Malaysia
Pledged $1 million to American Red Cross.

Maldives
Sent $25,000 to American Red Cross.

Mauritania
Promised $200,000 to American Red Cross.

Malta
Made offers of help and assistance.[8]

Mexico
Main article: Mexican response to Hurricane Katrina
Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas received almost 196 Mexican troops, 14 truckloads of water, a mobile surgical unit, 45 military vehicles, 3 tons of purified water, and more than 250 tons of food, bottled water, canned food, disposable diapers and medical supplies. The Mexican Government sent $1 million through the Mexican Red Cross which collected an additional million, as well as 200 tons of food delivered in five airplanes from the Mexican Air Force by another Mexican Government body. The Mexican Navy sent two ships, 385 troopers, eight all-terrain vehicles, seven amphibious vehicles, two tankers, two helicopters, radio communication equipment, medical personnel and 296 tons of food as well.

Mongolia
Pledged $50,000.

Nepal
Pledged $25,000.[30]

The Netherlands
Royal Netherlands Navy Frigate Hr. Ms. Van Amstel arrived from the Netherlands Antilles. The frigate was filled with supplies and had helicopters on board that can be used in rescue actions. Further, The Netherlands sent experts on the subject of water containment and dikes, identification teams and pumps to deliver clean drinking water, F-16s with sophisticated infra red or thermography camera pods (to look for weaknesses in the levees, corpses and hidden survivors) and divers from the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. On September 7 The U.S. government announced that it would take up the Dutch government's offer to send water pumps, and also five water management experts.

New Zealand
Main article: New Zealand response to Hurricane Katrina
Pledged $2 million though the Red Cross. This contribution was in addition to the offers the government has already made to send an Urban Search and Rescue Team, a Disaster Victim Identification team or post disaster recovery personnel.[31]

Nicaragua
Made offers of help and assistance.

Nigeria
Pledged $1 million to hurricane disaster relief.

Norway
Made offers of help and assistance. An amount of NOK 10 million was given through the Norwegian Red Cross and the UN. In addition, Norway offered divers and medicines.

Oman
Pledged $15 million.

Pakistan
On September 4 Pakistan offered to send a team of doctors and paramedics to support the relief agencies. Pakistan also pledged $1 million through the Red Cross.

Palau
Pledged $50,000.

Papua New Guinea
Promised $10,000 to American Red Cross.

Paraguay
Made offers of help and assistance.

Peru
Offered to send 80-100 doctors to help survivors.

the Philippines
Offered to send a 25-member team of aid workers. The Philippines Red Cross donated $25,000.

Poland
Made offers of help and assistance.

Portugal
Offered tents, mattresses, blankets, hygiene kits. Portugal lent 2% of its strategic oil reserve, equivalent to 500,000 barrels (79,000 m3) of oil.[citation needed]

Qatar
Pledged $100 million to the victims.[32]

Romania
Offered 2 Teams of medical experts.[8]

Russia
Was one of the first countries to offer assistance. Up to four jets were placed on standby at the Ramenskoe airport near Moscow as early as August 30, including heavy Ilyushin Il-76-TDs with special evacuation equipment, medical equipment, a water-cleansing system, a rescue helicopter BK-117 and two special cars; and a passenger IL-62, which brought 10 coordinators and 50 rescuers, as well as 6 tons of drinking water. On September 6, the Bush administration gave its approval.[33]

Saudi Arabia
Saudi Refining, a Houston-based subsidiary of state oil firm Saudi Aramco, donated $5 million to the American Red Cross, as well as $250,000 from AGFUND.

Singapore
Main article: Singaporean response to Hurricane Katrina

[Soul Crusher]

It's sad that countries like Djibouti offered aid whereas a number of the world powers aren't on that list. If some of our allies weren't offering much I can only imagine how poorly they'll help the Haitians.

Thats because most of these countries are FOFS on most issues while lecturing us how bad we are.  That is why I have no problem with any president telling oother countries to STFU.  

[240 is Back]

the rest of the nations, along with world organizations that offered help, listed here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina


The world stepped up when the US was in trouble.

[Fury]

the rest of the nations, along with world organizations that offered help, listed here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_Hurricane_Katrina


The world stepped up when the US was in trouble.

Not really. Most of those donations are a joke compared to what we hand out to their countries. I can only imagine how much, if any, they'll give the Haitians.

The world can feel free to prove me wrong, though. About time someone else starts carrying some of the weight with regards to helping others.

[240 is Back]

I think other countries might step up MORE for haiti - because they know it might actually be accepted.  During katrina, I think I recall this french (?) ship dropping anchor off new orleans with tons of rescue supplies, and we sent them away.

with their presidential palace even messed up, I"m guessing they take the help they need.

[Fury]

Kuwait and Qatar step up and pledge $500 million and $100 million, respectively and Pakistan offers $1 million. Something seriously wrong, there. How many billions of dollars have we dumped into Pakistan in the last decade now?

[loco]

That's right, the people of the USA and that mean old government. Chances of China or the other world powers lending a hand? Close to 0.

Don't forget all the Christian groups and individuals from the USA that will help not only financially, but also by sending volunteers there who will put in time and energy helping the victims, taking supplies, food, medicine, etc.  

[Soul Crusher]

Don't forget all the Christian groups and individuals from the USA that will help not only financially, but also by sending volunteers there who will put in time and energy helping the victims, taking supplies, food, medicine, etc.  

I just read that they fear up to 500,000 dead.  OMFG. 

[Fury]

I just read that they fear up to 500,000 dead.  OMFG. 

Just saw that. Sad situation. The palace is completely destroyed.

[240 is Back]

now they're talking temporary amnesty for haitians currently in the USA?

backdoor to amnesty going on here? 

[ToxicAvenger]

Not really. Most of those donations are a joke compared to what we hand out to their countries.

i'm sure they'd offer a whole bunch more if we let em build bases here on US soil 

[2ND COMING]

Kuwait and Qatar step up and pledge $500 million and $100 million, respectively and Pakistan offers $1 million. Something seriously wrong, there. How many billions of dollars have we dumped into Pakistan in the last decade now?

hahaha a million bucks. some b-list celeb will probably contribute more money than that.

[240 is Back]

wow, prisons collapsed and many prisoners on the loose.

[Soul Crusher]

wow, prisons collapsed and many prisoners on the loose.

And people call me crazy for having my preperations for any crazy scenario going down. 

[Fury]

hahaha a million bucks. some b-list celeb will probably contribute more money than that.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie gave over $6 million to charity last year (I believe), on top of all the volunteer work they do. 

[loco]

Kuwait and Qatar step up and pledge $500 million and $100 million, respectively and Pakistan offers $1 million. Something seriously wrong, there. How many billions of dollars have we dumped into Pakistan in the last decade now?

Statistically, religious people tend to donate much more than non-religious people.

The Judeo-Christian faith calls for donating no less than 10% of gross income, which goes toward helping orphans, widows, poor people, victims of disaster and spreading the faith.  Many people of this faith donate even more than 10%.

The Muslim faith calls for donating 2.5% of gross income.

[shootfighter1]

Again, the U.S. gives the most financial and on the ground assistance in responce to a crisis.  
I think we give far too much aid in general but happy to contribute my tax dollars to haitian people in the case of a natural disaster like this.  It's incredibly sad how many have appeared to have died.
Now, we are in no position to rebuild their nation after the crisis, nor should we...but I am all for supporting Haiti's residents during their time of crisis.