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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP BUTLER, Japan, Oct. 2, 2009 – The U.S. military is providing critically needed disaster-relief supplies to mitigate suffering and prevent further loss of life in the wake of Tropical Storm Ketsana, which struck the Philippines on Sept. 25. "Marines and sailors are working with the Philippine government to rapidly deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to the areas the Philippine government deems most in need," said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Douglas Powell, spokesman for the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force. U.S. military personnel are delivering relief supplies to remote areas by way of air and ground, providing...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2009 – The medical support situation in American Samoa has stabilized amid ongoing U.S. relief efforts after a massive tsunami devastated the area this week, a Defense Department official said today. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Kimo McKee, Hawaii Air National Guard loadmaster, directs the loading of humanitarian aid supplies into a C-17 Globemaster III bound for American Samoa to assist in relief efforts in the wake of tsunamis triggered by Sept. 29, 2009, undersea earthquake. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Mike Meares  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Medical triage, casualty care, shelter and bedding...

Pop superstar Madonna has reached out to the victims of the recent earthquake in Italy - donating a substantial sum to the ongoing rescue effort in area where her "ancestors" are from. The country's Abruzzo region was struck by tremors on Monday, killing over 200 people. The town of Pacentro, where Madonna's paternal grandparents lived until 1919, was severely affected by the disaster, prompting the region's mayor to appeal to the singer for help. And Madonna has responded by donating a $500,000 (£345,000) sum to the relief effort, according to People.com. The star says in a statement, "I am happy...

The United States said Monday it would donate 50,000 dollars in emergency aid to Italy after a powerful earthquake killed at least 100 people.

The United States said Monday it would donate 50,000 dollars in emergency aid to Italy after a powerful earthquake killed at least 100 people. "We send our heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed in the earthquake. Our embassy in Rome will provide 50,000 (dollars) in emergency relief funding," State Department spokesman Robert Wood told reporters. Italian authorities told the United States they did not need rescue teams, Wood said. President Barack Obama earlier offered his condolences on a visit to Turkey and voiced hope that the United States could send rescuers. The earthquake killed at least 100 people...

Obama Provides Emergency Funds for Gaza Relief Funds go to U.N. relief agencies and Red Cross Washington — President Obama authorized the use of $20.3 million in emergency funding for immediate humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in the Gaza Strip, the U.S. State Department said. The announcement follows remarks by U.S. Middle East special envoy George Mitchell, who said, “President Obama has expressed the deep concern of the United States about the loss of Palestinian life and the humanitarian needs in Gaza” at a briefing in Ramallah in the West Bank on January 29. Mitchell is on...

Cuba: Fidel Castro rejected two U.S. aid offers following major hurricanes. After lecturing us about "dignity," he then revealed his real game: to extract U.S. policy concessions and cash by using suffering as a wedge.nstead of accepting $5 million in no-strings U.S. aid as the island reels from terrible hurricanes, Castro used the disasters as an opportunity to demand a suspension of the U.S. trade embargo, while doing nothing to lighten his dictatorship. Pretty nervy. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, on a visit to IBD this week, called the two hurricanes that blew through earlier this month "Cuba's Katrina" and described...

HOUSTON (BP)--About 1,500 Southern Baptist disaster relief volunteers are setting up units in Texas and were expected to be operational by the end of the day Tuesday to serve victims of Hurricane Ike. The primary focus of the efforts currently is food preparation, with 39 kitchen units on site in the state. The American Red Cross has asked Southern Baptists to be ready to prepare up to 375,000 hot meals a day, while the Salvation Army has requested 125,000 meals a day, bringing the total to 500,000. In addition to the 39 feeding units, more than 40 other types of...

It didn't take long for the finger-pointing to begin. The Federal Emergency Management Agency came under fire Sunday as emergency workers were left undernourished and dozens of trucks of water and food had yet to be set up at distribution centers around Houston and surrounding communities.

HAVANA – Cuba has turned down U.S. storm relief handouts, but is asking for trade restrictions to be lifted so it can buy American materials to assist in its recovery from Hurricane Ike, officials said Thursday. "Cuba hasn't asked the United States government to give it anything," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement ...

News ReleaseCanadian Forces Continue Assistance with U.S. Hurricane Response EffortsNR#08.008 - September 1, 2008OTTAWA - The Government of Canada, in response to a request from the United States Government, deployed additional aircraft today to Florida to assist with search and rescue efforts in the wake of Hurricane Gustav. Two CC-130 Hercules aircraft deployed from 14 Wing, Greenwood, N.S. and 17 Wing, Winnipeg, to provide assistance with the next phase of hurricane relief efforts. The two planes were sent to the United States under the provisions of the Civil Assistance Plan as part of Operation UNIFY, the official designation for the...

Cindy McCain (L), wife of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain (R-AZ), and U.S. first lady Laura Bush appear in front of a screen appealing for relief for victims of Hurricane Gustav at the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota September 1, 2008. REUTERS/Mike Segar (UNITED STATES) US PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN 2008 (USA)

2008 Republican National Convention Launches First Day of Hurricane Relief Effort SAINT PAUL, MN -- Today, the 2008 Republican National Convention launched the first day of its Hurricane Gustav Relief Effort. The effort includes the formation of a center where volunteers will assemble and send 80,000 "comfort packages," a text message alert system, and a comprehensive effort to encourage Americans to donate to charities identified by the five Gulf Coast governors. These efforts augment the steps that the convention announced yesterday, which included the formation of the Affected States Working Group and the establishment of an Affected States Information...

A Canadian Forces C-17 carrying a military medical team and emergency supplies was expected to arrive from CFB Trenton Sunday to assist U.S. forces preparing for Hurricane Gustav, which is expected to hit land here as early as Monday with a force comparable to the devastating Hurricane Katrina. The massive Globemaster left CFB Trenton at 12:42 p.m. Sunday afternoon bound for Louisiana, where thousands of people in New Orleans and across the U.S. Gulf Coast fled their homes as Hurricane Gustav barrelled through the Gulf of Mexico packing a punch potentially as powerful as Katrina, the storm that devastated the...

CNN reports that the RNC Convention will turn into a telethon and a community service outlet for 4 days if Hurricane Gustav destroys cities along the gulf coast. McCain campaign is presently going over options. He refuses to have the convention be a party atmosphere during time of tragedy and crisis CNN Reports. Developing...

Cold War tension rises as Putin talks of Black Sea confrontation Russia has criticised the US for using naval ships to deliver aid to Georgia Michael Evans, Defence Editor A new Cold War between Russia and the West grew steadily closer yesterday after the Kremlin gave a warning about “direct confrontation” between American and Russian warships in the Black Sea. Dmitri Peskov, a spokesman for Vladimir Putin, the Prime Minister, declared that Russia was taking “measures of precaution” against American and Nato naval ships. “Let’s hope we do not see any direct confrontation in that,” he said. Any attempt by...

BATUMI, Georgia - A U.S. military ship carrying humanitarian aid docked at the Georgian Black Sea port of Batumi on Wednesday, avoiding the port of Poti, which is still controlled by Russian forces. The move came amid escalating tensions between Russia and Georgia's Western allies. Batumi, where the Coast Guard cutter Dallas docked, is well south of the zone of fighting in this month's war between Russia and Georgia. The United States and European nations have assailed Russia's recognition of two Georgian territories as separate nations Tuesday, and Moscow has also criticized the United States for bringing humanitarian aid into...

(CBS/AP) The United States has canceled plans to try to dock a military ship carrying humanitarian aid in the Georgian port of Poti, where Russian forces are posted on the outskirts, a U.S. Embassy spokesman said Wednesday. The ship, the Coast Guard cutter Dallas, was to have come to the Black Sea port Wednesday morning. But embassy spokesman Stephen Guice said the vessel instead will dock in Batumi, a port well south of the zone of fighting in this month's war between Russia and Georgia. Guice said he did not have information on why the plan was changed. Poti's port...

TBILISI, Aug 26 (Reuters) - U.S. warships have scrapped a plan to deliver relief supplies to Georgia's flashpoint port of Poti on Wednesday, a source close to the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi said. "The ships will not dock in Poti tomorrow," the source told Reuters, referring to a planned mission by the USS McFaul and another vessel. Their presence would have been sure to enrage Russia, which has troops patrolling the port following a brief war with Georgia. "There was a possibility that the McFaul might go to Poti but no-one has given us a final decision. We're not sure...

TBILISI, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Two U.S. warships will deliver humanitarian supplies on Wednesday to the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti where Russian troops have been mounting patrols, the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi said on Tuesday.

Cindy McCain, wife of Sen. John McCain, is headed to the Republic of Georgia, where tensions between the government and Russia have sparked international concern and have become an issue on the presidential campaign trail. McCain announced to a group of fundraisers in Sacramento that his wife was headed to the country, but the campaign did not provide any details about the trip. McCain has been very aggressive in his condemnation of Russia's invasion of Georgia, and his campaign has been critical of Obama's more measured response when Russian tanks first pushed into the country. McCain spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker confirmed...

SACRAMENTO, California - John McCain told a crowd at a fundraiser that his wife is on her way to the embattled nation of Georgia, an announcement coming just hours before Barack Obama's wife makes a high-profile speech at the Democratic National Convention. McCain told a crowd that wife, Cindy, was to accompany him on his visit to California and he apologized for her absence. "Cindy is not here today and I'm sorry she's not," said McCain. "She's on her way to the little country of Georgia." McCain has been a staunch supporter of Georgia in that country's clash with Russia,...

USS McFaul Brings Aid to Batumi, Georgia Story Number: NNS080824-07 Release Date: 8/24/2008 1:00:00 PM By Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet (CNE-C6F) Public Affairs BATUMI, Republic of Georgia (NNS) -- USS McFaul (DDG 74) pulled into the port of Batumi, Georgia, Aug. 24 to deliver humanitarian relief supplies to the country as part of the larger United States response to the government of Georgia request for humanitarian assistance. This represents the first U.S. Navy ship to arrive and deliver humanitarian assistance to Georgia. "Our job was to get the supplies to Georgia as quickly as possible," said...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2008 – The U.S. military has delivered more than 1 million pounds of humanitarian relief supplies to Georgia. Georgian soldiers, working with U.S. soldiers, assist in delivery of humanitarian assistance supplies to the people of Georgia Aug. 21, 2008. Defense Dept. photo by Marine Maj. Rob James  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. As of Aug.22, 36 missions had been flown by Air Force C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules transport aircraft as well as Navy C-9 Skytrain, C-130 Hercules and C-40 Clipper aircraft, U.S. European Command officials said. Two U.S. ships are on the way,...

BATUMI, Georgia (Reuters) - A U.S. navy warship arrived in Georgia's main Black Sea port of Batumi on Sunday with humanitarian aid as Russia ignored Western demands to remove its remaining troops from Georgia's heartland. Russia says the residual troops are peacekeepers needed to avert further bloodshed and to protect the people of Georgia's separatist, pro-Moscow provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia two days after Moscow said it had wrapped up its withdrawal. On Georgia's main east-west rail line, a fuel train exploded on Sunday after apparently hitting a landmine. The conflict erupted on August 7-8 when Georgia tried to...

NAPLES, Italy, Aug. 21, 2008 – Two Navy ships and a Coast Guard cutter are transporting humanitarian relief supplies to Georgia. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jeff Weaver and Petty Officer 2nd Class Gary Smith prepare humanitarian aid supplies for loading aboard USS McFaul at Souda Bay, Crete, Aug. 20, 2008. Nearly 55 tons of supplies were loaded as part of the humanitarian assistance for the Georgia following the conflict between Russian and Georgian forces in the former Soviet republic. U.S. Navy Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Eddie Harrison   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. These deployments...

WASHINGTON (AFP)--The United States will consider providing $1 billion in emergency aid to Georgia, a top U.S. lawmaker said Monday on his return from a visit to the conflict-torn nation.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2008 – The U.S. military has delivered $2 million worth of humanitarian aid to Georgia in an ongoing effort to relieve the war-torn former Soviet republic that came under Russian attack 10 days ago. In addition to 130 tons of airlifted cargo, U.S. European Command has granted the Georgian government in Tblisi access to a $1.2 million stockpile of disaster relief and medical supplies stored in Georgia. “We are going to continue to flow in assistance,” Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. “We have been over the weekend, and we will continue this week.” More than...

Juxtaposed on opposite pages of the BBC International newspaper were two stories: "..thousands of people (in Seoul, South Korea) protesting against resumption of U.S. Beef imports..." and "The U.S. announced that it will send half a million tons of food aid to North Korea." How can two so closely connected groups of people hold such strong opposite opinions about the safety of U.S. food exports? Easy. It's the haves vs. the have-nots. South Korea is a strong democratic nation, our ally, who owes its existence to the U.S. and the United Nations. It has the luxury to be choosey. Its...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2008 – The U.S. military flights that have delivered humanitarian assistance to Georgia this week will continue in the days ahead, President Bush said today. American C-17 aircraft began delivering aid to Georgia Aug. 14 in the wake of attacks by Russian forces in two breakaway Georgian regions and other parts of the former Soviet republic. “In recent days, U.S. cargo planes carrying humanitarian supplies have arrived in Georgia. In the days ahead, we will continue using U.S. aircraft and other assets as needed to deliver more humanitarian and medical supplies,” Bush said today in his...

ANKARA (AFP) — Washington has made no formal request from Ankara to allow two US hospital ships to sail through the Turkish Straits to Georgia, a US diplomat said Saturday, following reports that Turkey was dragging its feet on making a decision.

The crush of displaced people has proved more than the government or aid organizations can handle. Many who have taken shelter in the Georgian capital say they could not have survived if not for an impromptu outpouring of charity from fellow Georgians, who have opened their doors to strangers and shown up at shelters bearing food, bedding, soap and medicine.

TBILISI, Georgia, Aug. 14, 2008 – A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport jet departed Ramstein Air Base, Germany, and landed at Tbilisi International Airport here yesterday, delivering $1 million in humanitarian aid to reduce the suffering of the people of the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Air Force Staff Sgt. Chris Broegemueller, assigned to the 86th Airlift Wing's Contingency Response Group at Sembach Air Base, Germany, helps to push out the first of 16 pallets aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III in Tbilisi, Georgia, Aug. 13, 2008. The humanitarian assistance delivery consisted of $1 million...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2008 – The humanitarian mission under way in Georgia is intended to alleviate suffering for now and will move into longer-range help in the future, officials said at a Pentagon news conference today. The Air Force has sent two supply-filled C-17 Globemaster III transports into Georgia’s capital of Tbilisi. More flights will follow, officials said, but none are scheduled just yet. Russian troops who invaded Georgia last week are beginning to pull back, Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said today. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also spoke at...

US defence chief Robert Gates has said he sees no prospect of using US military force in Georgia, following its week-long conflict with Russia. But he warned that US-Russia relations could be adversely affected for years as a result of Moscow's actions. (snip) Despite concerns that Moscow may not be keen quickly to leave Georgian territory, Mr Gates said the Russians did seem to be pulling back. "They appear to be withdrawing their forces back towards Abkhazia and to the zone of conflict... towards South Ossetia," he said.

AMERICA'S George Bush delivered a stark warning to Russia this week that led Russia to begin to pull back its forces in Georgia. Mr Bush sent his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, to Georgia and told his defence secretary, Robert Gates, to organise a humanitarian-aid operation. The first American military aircraft landed at Tbilisi airport on Thursday August 14th. This conflict is about more than the two separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, or displacing Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia’s hot-headed president. It is about Russia, resurgent and nationalistic, pushing its way back into the Caucasus and chasing others out, and...

US military planes have begun delivering aid to Georgia as Washington stepped up support for a shaky ceasefire with Russian troops around the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Russia said today it will soon pull out from Gori, a town 60km east of the capital Tbilisi, just outside South Ossetia and which contols the key road between eastern and western Georgia. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is set to hold talks with French president Nicolas Sarkozy before heading to Tbilisi. Her trip comes six days into a conflict that has shifted from artillery, tank and gun battles at the...

President George W. Bush announced the dispatch of a U.S. military aircraft carrying medical supplies to the Georgian capital of Tblisi on Wednesday morning, warning Russia that he expected it to be allowed to deliver its aid by air and sea. The statement, with its echoes of the 1961 Berlin airlift, upped tensions between the two former Cold War adversaries. The day after Russia agreed to a French-brokered cease-fire, Russian troops followed by irregular fighters pushed deep into Georgia, aiming to seize the strategic city of Gori and cutting the main highway that crosses the country to the capital Tbilisi....

FM Livni speaks with FM of Georgia, Israel sends humanitarian aid to Georgia 12 Aug 2008 (Communicated by the MFA Spokesperson) Israel is sending humanitarian aid to Georgia tonight (12 August) as the first part of a broader aid effort to be implemented soon. The shipment, which will be flown by the Georgian national airline, consists of two respirators and seven EKG monitors. The aid is a result of cooperation between the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Archimedes Global- Madanes Group. Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Tzipi Livni spoke on the telephone this afternoon (12 August)...

Mideast edition, Thursday, August 14, 2008 ARLINGTON, Va. — President Bush has ordered the U.S. military to begin a humanitarian mission in Georgia. "This mission will be vigorous and ongoing," Bush said Wednesday at the White House, adding that a U.S. C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies was on its way to Georgia. Russian troops and tanks invaded the country last week in response to a Georgian offensive intended to retake the breakaway province of South Ossetia. The Russian president later ordered Russian forces to halt their drive into Georgia, but it was unclear Wednesday whether Russian troops had moved further...

U.S. to take control of Georgian ports: Saakashvili Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:07pm EDT TBILISI (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's pledge to send aid to Georgia means that the U.S. military will take control of the ex-Soviet state's ports and airports, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on Wednesday.

President Bush has directed the U.S. military to lead a humanitarian mission to Georgia where tens of thousands have been forced out of their homes following a Russian invasion last week that has been described by Georgia's president as an "ethnic cleansing." A U.S. C-17 aircraft with humanitarian supplies already has arrived in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and another C-17 will arrive there Thursday with additional medical and humanitarian aid, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said after the president's announcement. Speaking from the White House Rose Garden with Defense Secretary Bob Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Bush...

BANGKOK, Thailand - As much as 25 percent of cyclone relief aid in Myanmar is being lost because of the military government's foreign exchange system, a United Nations official said Friday. Dan Baker, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Myanmar, said he is concerned that the losses could upset donors who have already shown a reluctance to fund the relief effort following the May 2-3 cyclone that killed 84,537 people, according to the government. "This is a big issue. This is a big concern," Baker said. "The donors aren't going to give us money if they know they will (lose) a...

YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's military regime has forced cyclone survivors to do menial labor in exchange for food and stepped up a campaign to evict displaced citizens from aid shelters, an international human rights group said Thursday. London-based Amnesty International also said authorities in several cyclone-hit areas continue to divert aid despite the junta's pledge to crack down on the problem weeks ago. "Unless human rights safeguards are observed, tens of thousands of people remain at risk," Amnesty said in a report released Thursday. "Respect for human rights must be at the center of the relief effort." More than a...

Washington, D.C. (AHN) - A U.S. warship delivering aid to cyclone victims in Myanmar and its escort vessels will leave international waters near the country on Thursday. The departure of USS Essex on orders of the Pentagon follows the refusal of the military rulers of Myanmar to allow U.S. helicopters to airlift relief supplies to people in the Irrawaddy Delta region, which was hardest hit by Cyclone Nargis last month. According to a statemenf from Admiral Timothy J. Keating, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Myanmar rejected the U.S. Navy's 15 requests for permission to fly the relief goods into...

Myanmar cyclone: Burma's junta turns away US aid ships By Thomas Bell, South East Asia Correspondent Last Updated: 1:46PM BST 04/06/2008 Four American navy ships, laden with relief supplies, are steaming away from the Burmese coast because the military junta will not allow them to help starving cyclone victims. On board the boats were 22 urgently needed heavy-lift helicopters, amphibious vehicles and water purification equipment. The Burmese regime claimed that, far from wanting to help the 2.5 million survivors of last month’s cyclone, the US was in fact intent on stealing the country’s oil resources. "I am both saddened and...

A top U.S. military commander says American navy ships off Myanmar's coast will leave the area after failing to get the junta's permission to help with cyclone relief efforts. Adm. Timothy Keating says that he wants the USS Essex and accompanying vessels to resume their previously scheduled duties on Thursday. The ships were in the region for international exercises. Keating made them available to help with relief efforts for last month's cyclone and they were deployed near Myanmar in case they obtained permission to enter the country's waters. But Myanmar allowed only limited U.S. military aid flights to the country,...

Americans are hearing so much these days about how bad we are that we're starting to believe it. In a recent Gallup Poll, 68 percent said they are "dissatisfied with the position of the United States in the world today," and 55 percent said they think that the rest of the world views us unfavorably. However, as I page through a publication called the Index of Global Philanthropy, which is produced annually by the Center for Global Prosperity at the Hudson Institute in Washington, it becomes obvious that these American feelings of self-deprecation are misguided. This is the just released...

I just login in Free Republic once and posted some information about the earthquake in China. I have never thought I can get reply from American peoples. Although we are from different nations, and do not know each other,please let me say thanks to you. Now, all Chinese are do everthing we can do to help our sisters and brothers in the earthquake area. We will do a good job to save lives and rebulid our beautiful country.

The United States has reached a deal with North Korea to provide 500,000 tons of food aid over the coming year to the isolated communist nation. The U.S. administration says the aid has little to do with its nuclear disarmament deal with Pyongyang, although both have involved an unusual intensity of U.S. diplomacy with North Korea, a nation President George W. Bush once included as part of a rhetorical ``axis of evil.'' ``We don't see any connection,'' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack was quoted as saying. ``We're doing this because America is a compassionate nation and the United States and...