Continuing
Support For Tsunami Relief
“From our own
experiences, we know that nothing can take away the grief of those affected by
tragedy. We also know that Americans have a history of rising to meet great
humanitarian challenges and of providing hope to suffering peoples. As men and
women across the devastated region begin to rebuild, we offer our sustained
compassion and our generosity, and our assurance that America will be there to
help.”
President George W. Bush, January
3, 2005
Presidential
Action
·
President Bush on February 9, 2005,
announced that he is seeking $950 million as part of the supplemental request
to support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas devastated by the
Indian Ocean Tsunami and to cover the costs of the U.S. government’s relief
efforts to date. This amount, which is part of the supplemental appropriations
request, is an expansion of his initial commitment of $350 million and is based
on the information available and the assessments to date.
·
The President expressed the United
States’ deep and ongoing commitment to the tsunami victims. The United States
was working to help these nations before the tsunami struck, and we remain
committed to helping those affected by this terrible disaster recover and
rebuild.
The $950 million tsunami supplemental will include
estimated allocations for the following activities:
·
$339 million for reconstruction of
infrastructure, such as the construction of roads, schools, and water
distribution systems;
·
$168 million to help victims transition
back to their communities, including food aid, shelter, housing reconstruction,
education, and programs that help victims recover and get back to work;
·
A total of $35 million for early warning
and disaster mitigation efforts -- $23 million to improve the international and
U.S. tsunami early warning system, and $12 million to enhance tsunami early
warning and disaster mitigation in the affected countries;
·
$62 million for good governance and
technical assistance for planning reconstruction activities and the costs of
U.S. government agency operations in the region; and
·
$346 million to replenish costs incurred
by the United States Agencies for International Development (USAID) and the
Defense Department for provision of immediate relief.
·
The supplemental may fund debt deferment
for tsunami affected countries, if necessary.
Relief
Efforts To Date:
·
To date, the United States has committed
$350 million in emergency relief assistance – which will be replenished in the
supplemental to enable the United States to respond to future emergencies. This
is in addition to operational costs incurred by the Department of Defense.
Relief resources have been focused on emergency food assistance, provision of
relief supplies, shelter, water and sanitation, health, education, cash for
work, livelihoods recovery, psychological and social support, protecting women
and children from human-trafficking, logistics and coordination, and debris
clean-up.
·
When the earthquake hit, USAID immediately
worked to mobilize staff to respond to the humanitarian needs in the affected
countries. At the height of the relief effort, more than 150 USAID personnel,
including Disaster Assistance experts, were on the ground in Indonesia, India,
Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Maldives, and the Seychelles conducting assessments of
affected areas, managing U.S. civilian response, participating in the overall
coordination of relief and reconstruction activities, apprising funding
requests, and recommending appropriate U.S. Government relief efforts.
o The
United States, through USAID, has funded debris clean-up and other community
rehabilitation projects in the relief phase benefiting more than 344,000 people
through cash-for-work projects and temporary shelter for more than 165,000
people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and India.
o USAID
has also funded water and sanitation activities in the emergency phase
benefiting more than 885,000 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and the
Maldives.
o USAID
provided 21,220 metric tons for the first four months of World Food Program
(WFP) operations, contributing to WFP's beneficiary total of 1.4 million
tsunami victims.
·
The Defense Department brought into
action military assets to support relief operations in Thailand, Indonesia, Sri
Lanka, and the Maldives. The Defense Department has been providing vital
supplies and logistics to the humanitarian effort since December 30.
o At
the height of the DOD humanitarian support activities, there were nearly 16,000
U.S. military personnel in the region focused on this effort.
o There
were 26 ships, 58 helicopters, and 43 fixed wing aircraft.
o DOD
delivered over 10 million pounds of food and supplies and provided well over
400,000 gallons of fresh water.
o To
date, DOD has treated almost 2,500 patients.
·
Other agencies have also contributed to
the effort including the State Department with diplomatic coordination, the
Department of Health and Human Services by deploying technical health experts,
the Department of Agriculture with food aid, and the Treasury Department
through the efforts of the international financial institutions.
·
Former Presidents Bush and Clinton will
visit tsunami-affected countries of South and Southeast Asia, including
Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the Maldives in February 2005.
·
Estimates place the generous
private-sector donations towards the tsunami relief efforts at more than $700
million.
How You Can Help
The most
effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions
to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations. Visit the
USA Freedom Corps website to learn more and Donate Now. Learn more.
Press Releases
January 7, 2005
Statement on H.R. 241, Accelerating Income Tax Benefits for Charitable Contributions for Tsunami Victims
Statement on H.R. 241, Accelerating Income Tax Benefits for Charitable Contributions for Tsunami Victims
Ask the White House
Radio
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/tsunami/
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