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 ...
Hogwash.
Look, I stand second to no one in thinking that the UN has become a haven for rip off artists; however, the tsunami happened just a little over four days ago. It was of unprecedented proportion.
It's not as if supplies were just sitting in warehouses a few blocks from the beach just waiting to be distributed. Help is arriving from around the world and Reuters' own photographs show that many are receiving the food, water, medical care and shelter they need. Yes there will be delays. Some places will not receive enough aid in time. But in a disaster of this magnitude, such is to be expected.
It's not enough for the press to cover the disaster. It has to invent blunders and fraud in order to finger point and place blame. Today's media cannot accept the fact that nature--not man--is responsible for this and many other disasters.
At the moment? When has the UN done anything? It's just a collection of useless NGO'S which sit around in luxury thinking up ways to ruin the world with stupid idea's. It's idividual nations which provide aid, and co-ordinate it. Not the Usless Nation's and their collection of international crooks.
Of course, with this disaster to contend with, the UN will shift focus away from places like Sudan, Niger, Rwanda, and other places where they have yet to take any action.
They can't multi-task.
Dismantle that useless organization once and for all. They are nothing but a collection of international crooks, terrorists, and elitist loonatic leftist controled NGO's corrupt to the core.
It doesn't matter where it is, the UN is plush for its "workers".
Tell us what you really think. ;-)
I don't think all the industrial might of the world can help get food and medicine in until some basic infrastructure issues are resolved. It is sad that some will die while waiting, but that's the way it will be as long as we are physical beings in a physical universe.
Today prayer is what is needed.
Shalom.
The left must be saved!
Yep, it's right next to the "Unemployment Rate" dial, just above the "Interest Rate" and "Inflation Rate" dials.
Vacation? Vacation? How dare he! Why is he hiding in Crawford NYC?
This absolutely slays me. People need help now and the UN is doing PR work and scheduling a 'major appeal for January 6th'.
Diesels run fine on JP-8, just a little hot.
Screw the UN. Get them the hell out of the way and let the US handle this.
It's a good thing India has declined all offers of international aid for the timebeing.It will help keep the relief effort focussed.
She said the doctors were all at the coast. When they get back to the offices, they will know the needs.
Any money you give now will probably just line someone's pocket.
Quote: The left must be saved!
So true so true. However the rich have always had preferential treatment. Always been that way always will. Look what happened to the steerage class on the Titanic.
Yeah, I saw that movie, too.
AMEN...........
He cut his vacation short today, four days after what may prove to be one of the most devasting natural disaster in recorded history. But he did announce this morning that the UN was going to meet next week to discuss the situation.
I nominate this for the official UN slogan.
Agreed!
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