Canada Offers $100,000 In Aid To Victims Of Indonesian Disasters

[Turborama]

Source: The Canadian Press

The federal government said Sunday it will provide humanitarian support to those affected by the recent natural disasters in Indonesia.

International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda said Ottawa would offer $100,000 to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The money will go to providing non-food emergency supplies to some of those affected by the recent volcanic eruptions and earthquake.

Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano began erupting Oct. 25, killing 138 people and displacing more than 100,000. On the same day, a strong earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra island, triggering a tsunami and killing at least 449 people and displacing some 15,000.

Indonesia is one of Canada's countries of focus in Asia. In 2008-2009, the Canadian International Development Agency contributed $79.32 million in development assistance to Indonesia.

Read more: http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/international/article/99322--canada-offers-100-000-in-aid-to-victims-of-indonesian-disasters

---

As their foreign minister http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x523222">told David Frost during their discussion about Merapi's eruptions, Indonesia hasn't made any requests for international assistance. This is a wonderful gesture from Canada, though.

Related OP in GD: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9506514">Heads Up: Massive Volcanic Eruptions In Indonesia (Dialup Warning & Incl. Some Very Graphic Images)

[Turborama]

1. UAE sets up field hospital for Indonesian Mt. Merapi victims

WAM ABU DHABI, Nov. 8th, 2010: The UAE's Red Crescent Authority is setting up a field hospital in Indonesia to help locals affected by the eruption of Mount Merapi volcano in central Java.

The move is in line with directives from President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, H.H Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of Red Crescent Authority (RCA) and in response to appeals by Indonesian officials to help the local population.

RCA is directly coordinating the emergency effort with Indonesian local authorities in Central Java, Yogyakarta to reach people in the areas affected by the volcano which began spewing lava, superheated gas and deadly clouds of ash two weeks ago, and has forced the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people, according to Khdeim Al-Dere'i, head of the UAE World Humanitarian Field Hospital.

The field hospital team will work 20 kilometers away from the volcano and within the safe zone set up by authorities.

More: http://www.wam.org.ae/servlet/Satellite?c=WamLocEnews&cid=1285739445538&p=1135099400124&pagename=WAM/WamLocEnews/W-T-LEN-FullNews

[denem]

2. $100,000 is a poke in your eye insult.

$170 per death: what a joke.

[Turborama]

3. They weren't asked to, and they didn't have to, give anything

There are a lot of evacuees who left their houses in an instant and are in need of clothes. $100,000 will buy a lot of clothes here.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9506514#9507374">Refugees rummage through second-hand clothes that were distributed at a refugee camp in Yogyakarta

[Posteritatis]

4. It's emptying the treasury as far as people like Harper are concerned

Though that much can go surprisingly far, and as the article says we're pretty heavily involved in development there. Even so, that much is an insult, both to the victims and to Canadians who're basically being told that a third of a cent per Canadian is some substantial and generous sum.

I suppose Harper will try to make the argument, which can at least be attempted, that our aid funds have been exhausted quite a lot in the last couple of years due to other disasters. But still, considering how small our aid budget generally is and the fact that we're one of the only economies in the developed world that isn't sizzling at the bottom of a blackened crater these days, that's argument is skating on some pretty thin ice as far as I'm concerned.