$500k
wow--that's a little more than what France is chipping in. Reminds me of Thanksgiving dinner, where the guest who brought some store bought cookies whines about the turkey being dry.
The rest of the story:
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December 27, 2004, Baltimore - In one of the largest initial responses for emergency assistance in South and Southeast Asia, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) made an initial commitment of $500,000 to provide shelter and immediate healthcare needs to thousands devastated by a massive earthquake and tsunamis that hit the Bay of Bengal December 26.
CRS and local partners immediately mobilized to the hardest hit areas of India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia. CRS response is expected to climb into the millions in order to meet emergency needs and for the subsequent rebuilding and rehabilitation of the region. The initial $500,000 will be used primarily to help our partners bring food and emergency relief to the survivors and to avoid the spread of disease. More than 23,000 people in nine countries are reported dead; millions have been devastated and left without homes.
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CRS will still be there helping to rebuild when you've forgotten the whole incident.