Posted on 12/30/2004 7:45:52 AM PST by flitton
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Hundreds of tons of emergency supplies of tarpaulins, water purification systems, food and medicines poured into Asia on Thursday, but little was reaching injured, sick and hungry tsunami survivors.
Some survivors have seen no aid since the tsunami struck
...
Aid started pouring into Indonesia only to stop at the airport due to a lack of fuel for trucks to move it.
Rescue workers were still struggling to reach some cut off areas and many have been too busy recovering the thousands of disfigured and bloated corpses to help deliver aid.
The United Nations admits only a fraction of aid is getting to where it is needed as the death toll rose above 120,000.
"We are doing very little at the moment," U.N. emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland acknowledged in New York. The United Nations estimates up to 5 million people need aid.
"It will take maybe 48 to 72 hours more to be able to respond to the tens of thousands of people who would like to have assistance today -- or yesterday, rather," he said. "I believe the frustration will be growing in the days and the weeks ahead."
(Snip)
"The scale of this disaster is growing by the hour. The devastation is unimaginable," IFRC secretary general Mark Niskala said in Switzerland, adding that the money would provide emergency relief for two million people.
Oxfam said national aid groups were "rising to the challenge," but called on the United Nations to lead the way "Given the scale and scope of this crisis, strong U.N. leadership is critical," said Jasmine Whitbread, the international director of the British-based charity. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan cut short a holiday to oversee the relief operation from New York. The United Nations will launch a major appeal on January 6.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
If you catch snippets on TV of English speaking victims, you'll hear complaints that America was expected to come to their aid, but nothing so far.(And why not!!!) When this is over, we'll have a new flood of immigrants. No, even before this is over. Watch out, Mexico. You'll be outnumbered by Maldavians, Indonesians, etc.. The World Health Org. is saying five million people haven't got even basic life support. We should send airliners over to pick them up at once. Maybe TerAYsa Heinz/Kerry could help out. (Sorry to sound so mean when thousands of people are suffering, but GW and the US is helping and getting precious little thanks.) Not that I care, but it's beyond belief when the MSM and RATs seize on human tragedy of this magnitude to bash GW. They need to think up some sensible, positive programs, ideas, but that's impossible.
Susan Estrich resurfaced on Fox TV this morning -- after that exit polling humiliation -- she said the public is fast becoming disillusioned with GW and efforts in Iraq. She's as crazy as ever.
the UN is a pathetic collection of lawyers and a den of thieves.
The USA is getting results! A naval/Marine task force is bringing in supplies - setting up a base of operations for helicopter deliveries - water - food - medicines - C130 supply aircraft flying them in to the US base of operations ... We have results!
Wanna bet you will NEVER hear about it from reuters or the dis-Associated press?
Oh yeah - the MSM demands you send them CASH!? Who do you think would actually get cash? the lawyer/politician/dictators/criminals.
UN bureaucrats can't skim off the money that quickly. 25% of the 220 million has to line their pockets first and will take, oh say, two-three days.
"We are doing very little at the moment," U.N. emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland acknowledged in New York. The United Nations estimates up to 5 million people need aid.
"It will take maybe 48 to 72 hours more to be able to respond to the tens of thousands of people who would like to have assistance today -- or yesterday, rather," he said. "I believe the frustration will be growing in the days and the weeks ahead."
Remember the "outrage" over the unspent millions in Iraqi reconstruction funds allocated by the US?
Gosh, it turns out that some things do take time after all.
Amazing really that individual countries from as far away as Britain and Germany to the US, Japan and South Africa have got aid and rescuers in already and the UN is still on the starting blocks.
E-mail addresses for Egeland:
Egeland@un.org
lawday@un.org
bunker@un.org
I saw the Ambassador to Sri Lanka on the news last night and he said there was a bottleneck at the airport but they were working on it. He also said that some of the remote areas are just now being opened up. They've just finished opening up two roads that were washed away.
Well, that's the end of that relief effort!
""Lack of fuel" at an airport with literally hundreds of thousands of gallons of jet fuel... TRANSLATION: the airport officials want their cut, probably 10-20%, before the stuff leaves the airport."
Trucks cannot run on jet fuel.
This is the same guy that called us stingy.
"Given the scale and scope of this crisis, strong U.N. leadership is critical,"
Yeah, when you see some strong leadership from the U.N. let us know.
True, but they still want their cut.
Some can, some can't. And where do all the trucks and other equipment needed to run the airport get their fuel from, if they are out of fuel?
Egeland wants all aid to run through the UN so he and his cronies will be able to steal from it before it can reach the victims. Standard operating procedure from the criminals who run the U.N.
Ain't the UN's behavior stingy since the victims need the support and they're not providing it!
"Well, that's the end of that relief effort!"
The U.N. couldn't even help Haiti.
They will never get this together. Any aid that we give must be done by our own people and U.S. NGOs. Otherwise, it will just be stolen or wasted.
Millions will die before the U.N. gets it together. Then they will blame the U.S. for their incompetence.
I did some work for an NGO in Haiti supporting a USAID health project. The U.N. was there too. Their people live like kings, while third world people starve. It is pathetic.
Did she say what it is that you should wait for? Where is the best place to donate?
Wasn't there some news a while back about how the UN workers in Afghanistan lived the good life too?
Fox or CNN was reporting the aid that was coming in was going to the wealthier areas and tourist areas. The poor areas were down on the list.
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