Current tsunamis in Asia, What should be done? Options

[comeupon]

With the current death toll and fear of outbreaking epidemic what should be done by the countries affected, mainly India, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives --less than a 100 reported deaths. At this point and time the rescue workers in some of the highly affected areas are not even stopping to identify or transport dead bodies but rather burning them on the spot. Many small islands have been burnt completely because of whole villages being killed off. Technically the affected countries cant close their borders yet because of the attempts by rescue personal to get some sick and injured people to safety. People however continually keep going to these ransacked places for vacations. Thailand and the Maldives being really the only 2 as they suffered the least amount of casualties. Some travel companies are refusing to return fares, mainly in Russia and some other parts of the former USSR. Should these travelers/tourists be let out of the country after they have arrived and spent a week there? If they are released from the country there could a spread of diseases like Cholera and Maleria, caused by the dead bodies laying on the beach for 3-4 days in temperatures of 90+ degrees. The bodies have become bloated and infected (pic). It probably would not become as big of a epidemic as the Black Plague, but a widespread of Cholera or Maleria could really hurt a lot of the big cities in Europe. Though if all travel in and out of these countries is brought to a halt the percentage of sick people could keep increasing and increasing. Just looking for some opinions on some international matters, and yes I know the picture is kind of gruesome but I feel the American media does a poor job covering this topic.

[jambaJUICE]

oh my god, the picture.
that's terrible. it's a good idea to have them move.. but then there's a chance there might be more casuelties suffering the cholera and maleria. but if it'd save more lives.. then maybe it;d be something to pull through with.

[ComradeRed]

Maybe it killed some of the terrorists.

[comeupon]

Maybe it killed some of the terrorists.

Wouldnt say so, I doubt terrorists would be so close to the shore, yet alone in non-terrorist countries. More than 70% of casualties are tourists since most resorts are placed near the beach and locals tend to live more in city. Theres a video of a small tidal wave in Thailand. Thats basically how fast the water spread through out a large area of land.

[sadolakced acid]

you don't have to be close to shore....

the tsunami reached over a quarter mile inland in some places.

and most toursists were probably at beach resorts.

however, take a look at the pledged aid....

60 some million for spain

35 million from the US

35 million for pfizer ( the drug company)


and President bush has no sympathy...

89 BILLION for ONE county (iraq)

35 MILLION for lots more...


that's 0.04% for the money sent to iraq.

must be because haliburton doesn't get a cut.

[comeupon]

I was actually thinking the same thing with Bush pleding only 35 million, he covered his back though with his "this is just an opening donation" bit. From what i've found spain has promised a 68 million (us) Heres a nice list I found at ChinaDaily.com, though its a little outdated

AUSTRALIA: Australia sent four air force transport planes with supplies and medical specialists to the western Indonesian island of Sumatra and committed US$7.6 million to the international relief effort.

BELGIUM: The government is sending a military airbus with 22 tons of aid from Medecins Sans Frontieres and UNICEF to Sri Lanka.

BRITAIN: London sent an aircraft with plastic sheets and tents worth 250,000 pounds (US$481,500) to Sri Lanka. It said it was contributing 370,000 (US$712,000) pounds to the EU aid effort and a further US$100,000 to the World Health Organization for relief efforts.

CANADA: Canada said it would make an initial contribution of 1 million Canadian dollars (US$814,300) to an appeal for some US$6.5 million by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

CHINA: The government will offer 21.6 million yuan (US$2.6 mi-llion) worth of emergency huma-nitarian aid to India, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives,

CZECH REPUBLIC: Prague dispatched a plane to Sri Lanka with drinking water. Officials said overall aid worth US$444,400 would be sent.

EUROPEAN UNION: The European Commission pledged 3 million euros (US$4.06 million) and said it could mobilize up to 30 million euros (US$4.06 million) for rapid distribution to aid groups.

FRANCE: Foreign Minister Michel Barnier is heading to Sri Lanka and Thailand on a flight carrying aid. Paris has earmarked 100,000 euros (US$135,000) for initial rescue efforts in Thailand and has sent a plane with about 100 rescue workers and five tons of aid to Sri Lanka.

GERMANY: Germany said it was contributing 1 million euros (US$1.35 million) of emergency aid to the international effort and taking part in the EU programme. It sent a disaster relief team to Sri Lanka.

GREECE: Greece has offered Sri Lanka medical assistance, including 17 doctors and staff.

ISRAEL: Israel sent a medical team with medicines and equipment to Sri Lanka and another to Thailand. It also planned to send a military search and rescue team to Sri Lanka.

JAPAN: Japan will provide around US$30 million in aid to countries hit by an Indian Ocean tsunami that killed more than 29,000 people, and will send three navy vessels to waters off Thailand to help rescue survivors.

KUWAIT: The Kuwaiti cabi-net agreed to send aid supplies worth US$1 million to the affected region.

NETHERLANDS: The Nether-lands said it was contributing 2 million euros (US$2.7 million) to the Red Cross-Red Crescent appeal, above and beyond its participation in the overall EU programme.

SINGAPORE: Singapore said it would contribute around US$1.2 million to the global effort, and had armed forces medical teams and relief supplies ready to fly to Indonesia.

SPAIN: Madrid is sending a plane with first aid and sanitary equipment to Sri Lanka. It has promised 1 million euros (US$1.35 million) for aid and planes.

SWEDEN: Sweden sent two communications specialists to help UN relief efforts in Sri Lanka, and said it was sending tents and communications equipment to the Maldives. The Swedish Red Cross said it would contribute US$750,000 to the global IFRC appeal.

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: The government pledged US$2 million in aid and its Red Crescent was planning to send three plane-loads of aid.

UNITED STATES: The United States said it planned to provide an initial US$15 million in aid and had already released US$100,000 each to India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. It said the US Pacific Command had sent three patrol aircraft to assess damage.

IMF: The head of the Interna-tional Monetary Fund said he intended to provide assistance.

UNHCR: The UN's refugee agency said it was providing homeless in Sri Lanka with 18,000 pieces of plastic sheeting, 17,000 plastic mats, rope and non-food relief packages for 2,000 families.

UNICEF: It was distributing clothing and more than 30,000 blankets and sleeping mats in Sri Lanka and 1,600 water tanks, 30,000 blankets, medical supplies and hundreds of thousands of water purification pills in India.

UN DEVELOPMENT PRO-GRAMME: The UNDP provided US$100,000 each to Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, the Maldives and Thailand to help them assess and co-ordinate emergency needs.

[sadolakced acid]

hmm.

maybe i heard it wrong from TV then...

but the total AID is not near enough...

food, water. the US military has in the past distributed these...

this is not an option as the military is at war...

but can not more money be given?

[comeupon]

You were actually right about spain, just red up on MSN and noticed I wasnt as updated on the donations, Spain in fact announced a 68 million dollar donation, the most to date.

[sadolakced acid]

ahh, that's why, it's a new donation.

spain is a poorer country than the US...

[comeupon]

While they do have less money I wouldnt call them poor. Although the support has not been nearly enough to cover the rescue efforts and evacuation efforts I think this is the first time in a while that basically the whole world has ever chipped in on one thing. Be it only a little from some smaller countries its still something. The way ive been researching this is that these countries are going to need atleast 6-8 billion dollars to cover this. I found an interesting article the other day about a total evacuation of Hong Kong during a natural disaster. To evacuate the whole city cost over 3 billion dollars. Compared to that these tsunamis seem like giants. This could be and probably is the worst tragedy on Earth since the Black Plague hit Europe during the High Middle Ages.

[Teesa]

While they do have less money I wouldnt call them poor. Although the support has not been nearly enough to cover the rescue efforts and evacuation efforts I think this is the first time in a while that basically the whole world has ever chipped in on one thing. Be it only a little from some smaller countries its still something. The way ive been researching this is that these countries are going to need atleast 6-8 billion dollars to cover this. I found an interesting article the other day about a total evacuation of Hong Kong during a natural disaster. To evacuate the whole city cost over 3 billion dollars. Compared to that these tsunamis seem like giants. This could be and probably is the worst tragedy on Earth since the Black Plague hit Europe during the High Middle Ages.

wow..that is a lot of money..i feel so bad for all those people..i'm glad a lot of countries are helping out.-sorry, i didn't really debate anything.

[ComradeRed]

Asian countries should take more responsibility. It happened in their backyard.

I do NOT think we should use our military to deliver supplies. We all know what happened last time we tried that.

Black Hawk Down!

[mai_z]

It's sad, i was looking on MSN, and in a picture essay, there was a picture of a man whos house burned down in a fire during a mass cremation. Another picture showed a young child missing both his parents and two brothers. The aerial shots of the damage is overwhelming, and with the death toll rising up to 114 000, and a disease warning following close behind, I really don't know what's going to happen to all those people.

Money seems like the most effective way to help these people, and more people need to help.

Movie star Jackie Chan donated $64,282 to UNICEF, the agency said, while Chow Yun-fat, who starred in “The Replacement Killers” and “Anna and the King,” gave $25,600 to a disaster relief fund set up by the Apple Daily, the mass-market paper reported Wednesday.

[.kyan]

Asian countries should take more responsibility. It happened in their backyard.

I do NOT think we should use our military to deliver supplies. We all know what happened last time we tried that.

Black Hawk Down!

Coming from an asian country, Singapore, this catastrophe is bringing an great impact to my country and all those countries that are affected.

Yes perhaps you are right that the countries involved should take more responsibility as it happened in our backyard which is next to your "home".
Do you not realise that what affects one part of the world, affects the whole world?

Thats really altruistic of you to say such things. Perhaps you do not happen to be in the region to realise the gravity of the situation, the number of lives lost, the utter desperation survivors face or how devastating this incident is.

May i know, if the military should not be sent for this, then who or what other organisation should be sent?

Mind you, if the countries affected have some form of tsunami warning capability, (read this), maybe you would be better justified to say such things.

I'm really riled up by your caustic comment regarding this issue. Being surrounded by victims, this is no joke.

Maybe next time, you could put yourself in the shoes of the victims before saying anything more.

[comeupon]

Mind you, if the countries affected have some form of tsunami warning capability, (read this), maybe you would be better justified to say such things.

Actually that article is partly true, Tsunami warnings are set up in 3 of the countries that were hit. They are not set up coast to coast but they do exist, the government's of the countries affected just simple saw no reason to use it. Also the American and European officials officially contacted I belive Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand and told them to get everyone out of there. The countries simply ignored it. No one knows why, personally on my own research I say that these countries simple didnt have enough money to pay for a mass evacuation. So they simple ignored it.

[ComradeRed]

That was a serious comment... this is a CIVIL issue, not a military one.

Other countries have proved that they DO NOT LIKE IT when the United States military occupies their territory. This is to be expected. I'm sure a lot of Americans would hate for Singaporean soldiers to be in our country, tsuanmis or not.

Of course natural disasters aren't a joke, but neither is taking money from hardworking Americans to fund an occupation of Southeast Asia and THEN ask those hardworking Americans to put their lives on the line the next time a terrorist from one of those countries bombs one of our barracks or our homelands.

And yes, the tourists should be let go. There is not going to be an epidemic in Europe, as modern medicine is more than able to deal with malaria.

[sadolakced acid]

yes, but in this case i belive something of a military is needed....


the roads are down.

what needs to be done is cargo plane are needed to fly supplies to airports, from where cargo helicoptors fly to various spots to deliver the supplies.

who has enough cargo planes and helicoptors?

[.kyan]

Also the American and European officials officially contacted I belive Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand and told them to get everyone out of there. The countries simply ignored it. No one knows why, personally on my own research I say that these countries simple didnt have enough money to pay for a mass evacuation. So they simple ignored it.

I agree with you on that.

That was a serious comment... this is a CIVIL issue, not a military one.

Other countries have proved that they DO NOT LIKE IT when the United States military occupies their territory. This is to be expected. I'm sure a lot of Americans would hate for Singaporean soldiers to be in our country, tsuanmis or not.

Of course natural disasters aren't a joke, but neither is taking money from hardworking Americans to fund an occupation of Southeast Asia and THEN ask those hardworking Americans to put their lives on the line the next time a terrorist from one of those countries bombs one of our barracks or our homelands.

And yes, the tourists should be let go. There is not going to be an epidemic in Europe, as modern medicine is more than able to deal with malaria.

Yes it's a civil issue but you brought in the topic of the military. Maybe you should have asked yourself on what grounds it was when America occupied other territories. And right now I dont think its about asking America troops to be stationed there but to merely dispatch cargo and other relief materials. For example, UN has a peace keeping force which can be enlisted to help in such dire times of natural disasters. That should be what the American troops should do for the affected countries.

Perhaps you do not appreciate help when needed in times of trouble but that is your solo opinion.

I do not understand your second paragraph as i bear in mind the topic we are discussing - whether it is apt for american troops to be involved in the relief aid.
This topic, to the best of my knowledge and the way i interpret it, is not about terrorists but about the tsunami, the affected countries and people, and of course, if the tourists should be allowed home.

Yes everyone's money is hard-earned but i think its proper for me to say that the average income a US individual takes home a month is perhaps a portion of what some from the affected countries are raking in. Donating perhaps USD$10 would be sufficient and that will definately make a difference.

Some of the countries affected are third-world countries and they do need the money to help rebuild what they've lost. If you can put it past your conscience to not help out, then so be it. To each his/her own.

(sidenote: As we know, there's such a thing as goodwill. perhaps with US chipping in to help out in this situation, its international standing will improve. Or if you need another explanation, let it be karma.)

[ComradeRed]

Yes it's a civil issue but you brought in the topic of the military. Maybe you should have asked yourself on what grounds it was when America occupied other territories. And right now I dont think its about asking America troops to be stationed there but to merely dispatch cargo and other relief materials. For example, UN has a peace keeping force which can be enlisted to help in such dire times of natural disasters. That should be what the American troops should do for the affected countries.

Someone else brought up the military. In order for the military to dispatch relief, the soldiers will need barrracks, the machines will need refueling stations, etc. Especially because of the magnitude of the disaster, it will turn into a long-term occupation.

Perhaps you do not appreciate help when needed in times of trouble but that is your solo opinion.

If other countries appreciated US military aid, why is there terrorism? Why were we attacked by Afghanistan even though we gave them millions in aid?

I do not understand your second paragraph as i bear in mind the topic we are discussing - whether it is apt for american troops to be involved in the relief aid.
This topic, to the best of my knowledge and the way i interpret it, is not about terrorists but about the tsunami, the affected countries and people, and of course, if the tourists should be allowed home.

If we send our military there, we will create new terrorists as people dislike American military intervention, something that has been proved time and time again in the Middle East. The US just doesn't have a whole lot of credibility.

Yes everyone's money is hard-earned but i think its proper for me to say that the average income a US individual takes home a month is perhaps a portion of what some from the affected countries are raking in. Donating perhaps USD$10 would be sufficient and that will definately make a difference.

I'm sure there are very rich people IN THOSE COUNTRIES who would not think twice about using that much money. Why don't they relieve their own countrymen?

After cost of living adjustments, the average American family making $35,000 a year barely gets by WITHOUT income taxes. If we set a precedent that we can invade other countries to perform "humanitarian" tasks, the chain will never stop.

Some of the countries affected are third-world countries and they do need the money to help rebuild what they've lost. If you can put it past your conscience to not help out, then so be it. To each his/her own.

(sidenote: As we know, there's such a thing as goodwill. perhaps with US chipping in to help out in this situation, its international standing will improve. Or if you need another explanation, let it be karma.)

The last time our military attempted humanitarian aid, it caused half of Africa to hate us.

[xsweetxcandyx]

why are we all just talking about it...we should all do something to help... me and my friends are starting a relief fund at my school..

you guys should donate money to the red cross

if you're interested the link is in my sig

[comeupon]

why are we all just talking about it...we should all do something to help... me and my friends are starting a relief fund at my school..

you guys should donate money to the red cross

if you're interested the link is in my sig

I think supporting something you have no knowledge of is ignorant. Talking about helps people truly understand what happens and give them a better view of what they can do other than give away money. Our family has however contributed some money directly to the fund and our neighborhood has contributed some spare clothes and such to the fund going directly over there. It may not be much but its something.

[azn_r4pf4n]

their training the ppl in sri lanka.

[sadolakced acid]

U.S. military transport planes Thursday began moving relief supplies in large quantities to areas hardest hit by last Sunday's devastating earthquake and tsunami in East and South Asia. Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed the global response to the disaster in a video hookup with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

[ComradeRed]

why are we all just talking about it...we should all do something to help... me and my friends are starting a relief fund at my school..

you guys should donate money to the red cross

if you're interested the link is in my sig

This reminds me of a funny joke. A dictator goes to visit his friend, another dictator, in his home country. The first dictator sees that the second has built a magnificent palace, and he asks, "How did you do it?"

The second dictator poinst the first dictator to a river in the distance, and says, "See that bridge over there? An international aid agency paid me to build it. But I padded the cost. One million dollars."

Not to be outdone, the first dictator invites the second over to his country later, and the second dictator sees that the first has built an even more magnificent palace. He asks, "How did you do it?"

The first points the second over to a river in the distance, and says, "See that bridge over there?" The second replies, "What bridge?" The first smiles, then answers, "Exactly... Five million dollars."

[mechwarrior1989]

The United States increased the aid to $350 million. This of course has NOTHING to do with people criticizing the US.

[sammi rules you]

1) we are helping. we don't HAVE to, but we are, and more than most other countries. we ARE giving a LOT of money. just because spain is giving more doesn't mean we need to give more just because we have more.
2) not every american family is rich. not all of us do have a lot of money. there are poor people here just as there are poor people in other countries. there are also rich people here, just as there are rich people in other countries. american families only take home more money than some other families in other countries because of the customs exchange. an american dollar is worth more than a lot of other types of money. however, that does NOT mean we have more money. we have to buy food and clothes and other things and they cost more than they do in other countries.
3) we are in a war. we're not going to be sending even half of our military equipment over to southeast asia. we need our military for US. our military will serve US before ANYONE ELSE. that's why it's OUR military. yes, humanitarianism is good, but OUR military will serve US first and i'm sure any other country would do the same. therefore, no, we should NOT use our military to help other countries until we finish what we need first.

[sadolakced acid]

The United States increased the aid to $350 million. This of course has NOTHING to do with people criticizing the US.

and the original increase from 15 million to 35 million had NOTHING to do with any criticism.

[Angel_Cece]

Maybe it killed some of the terrorists.

hmmm... good point. they could have been hiding in south asia. but this topic is very sad

[Comptine]

I hate to be cynical but Asia wouldn't get the support they are getting right now if the number of tourists that died was lower. Money is only pouring in because a large number of tourists from rich countries died.

You might try and argue against that but it's true.

Look at Africa. It's been ravaged by famine and war for several decades but we still don't help them (not as much as needed). But one incident over there, caused numerous countries to help.

[comeupon]

1) we are helping. we don't HAVE to, but we are, and more than most other countries. we ARE giving a LOT of money. just because spain is giving more doesn't mean we need to give more just because we have more.

Actually thats where you are wrong, America does have to help in this situation. America has made itself the country everybody falls back on when something bad happens. That is the result of using our military to threaten any leader to get whatever we want. For the things we get we promise to help the rest of the world. Had America not contributed to this incident than the countries approval rating would plummet faster than the national debt. The fact that a country which has about 40 times less money than we do gives so much shows a lot about what kind of condition our country is in. I wouldnt be surprised if those Arab Emirate countries started dishing out some serious money just to show us up

Look at Africa. It's been ravaged by famine and war for several decades but we still don't help them (not as much as needed). But one incident over there, caused numerous countries to help.

The two things cant realy be compared, while Africa has been warring for a long time so has the Middle East, war is on those things that you cant really aid without joing the fight yourself. Africa has never had a massive loss of life like this, were talking about over 150,000 people. This could turn out to be the biggest natural disaster ever when all of these costal countries finally manage to get to every single island that has been populated. Those islands are gone with everyone on them. These islands could easily have anywhere from 5,000 - 100,000 people on each one. Countries usually always help out in times of natural disaster but it goes unnoticed because the damage was never nearly close enough to this and the donations are never $35 million.

[*xcaitlinx*]

well, i know that htey are going to be rebuilding homes/hotels/motels/misc. buildings on pilings [stilts] so that if god forbid another tsunami hits, then the buildings will not be damaged. Also, they are going to install tsunami/tidal wave sensors so that they will be prepared next time.

[pandamonium]

did you guys know ... they havent found any cats or dogs dead in the tsunami. they all sensed the tsunami was coming. i thought that was an interesting thought to add. lol

[*xcaitlinx*]

3) we are in a war. we're not going to be sending even half of our military equipment over to southeast asia. we need our military for US. our military will serve US before ANYONE ELSE. that's why it's OUR military. yes, humanitarianism is good, but OUR military will serve US first and i'm sure any other country would do the same. therefore, no, we should NOT use our military to help other countries until we finish what we need first.

hmm...greedy? perhaps so. And you say "We should not use our military to help other countries until we finish what we need first." Ok, yeah, that makes total sense? What DO we need? Do we need to wait until every single person in Iraq is dead? OR do we have to be reassured by all might Bush that the war is over? [which sounds familar, if you've seen Fareignheit 9/11] Look what big of a deal we made when, what, 1,000 [im guessing] people died in 9/11? Try multiplying that by 150 times...what would we have done then? The fact of the matter is, that when the world is in need of help, America should step up [as the richest country in the world] WITHOUT being nudged to donate money...and contribute as much as all the other countries have.

[azn_r4pf4n]

did you guys know ... they havent found any cats or dogs  dead in the tsunami. they all sensed the tsunami was coming. i thought that was an interesting thought to add. lol 

Yeaa.... I heard that from the news somewhere, so that's true.

[sadolakced acid]

they say the animals can sense the earthquake from the vibrations.

anyways:

yes the US has to give more. it's either that or stop messing in everyone else's country and go back to thier own country.

and do you want to know something?
everyday we spend 161 MILLION DOLLARS in IRAQ.

in 3 days we've spent more in Iraq than we've given to all the countries hit by the tsunami.


in one month we will have spent 5 BILLION dollars in iraq.

in one month from the tsunami disaster (january 26) we will have given 350 MILLION for the tsunami relief.

although it is good that we are using our ships and helicopters to move supplies. that is an invauable aid.

anyways: the 350 million isa PLEDGE. we haven't given it yet. not yet. only a few million so far have been spent in the tsunami relief because all thos pledges are just PLEDGES.