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HagiaSophia
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US Secretary of State Colin Powell said today not all the billions of dollars of tsunami aid was being spent and that the world should not flood the stricken nations with supplies that might not be needed.
Mr Powell estimated that international contributions to tsunami relief funds were now probably more than $US6 billion ($8 billion).
Of the US government donation of $US350 million ($460 million) only $US50-60 million ($66-80 million) had so far been committed, he told CNN television from Nairobi.
“What we have to do is to make sure that we’re providing assistance based on what is needed and providing money based on what is needed, not just flooding all of these places and accounts with supplies that may not be needed, or financial assistance that may not be required yet,” he said.
"Even though we have committed $US350 million, not all of that money immediately gets spent.
“That is also the case with the billions of dollars that have been committed by the international community. And some charitable organisations have already said, please stop sending us any more money, because they don’t want to have so much money that they can’t use it effectively, or it takes away from donations to other crisis areas of the world.”
The Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) group sparked a controversy last week, appealing for people to stop sending money, saying that the December 26 tsunami devastation in the Indian Ocean risked taking the spotlight away from other pressing crises, such as Darfur in Sudan.
news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11899242%255E1702,00.html
Mr Powell estimated that international contributions to tsunami relief funds were now probably more than $US6 billion ($8 billion).
Of the US government donation of $US350 million ($460 million) only $US50-60 million ($66-80 million) had so far been committed, he told CNN television from Nairobi.
“What we have to do is to make sure that we’re providing assistance based on what is needed and providing money based on what is needed, not just flooding all of these places and accounts with supplies that may not be needed, or financial assistance that may not be required yet,” he said.
"Even though we have committed $US350 million, not all of that money immediately gets spent.
“That is also the case with the billions of dollars that have been committed by the international community. And some charitable organisations have already said, please stop sending us any more money, because they don’t want to have so much money that they can’t use it effectively, or it takes away from donations to other crisis areas of the world.”
The Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) group sparked a controversy last week, appealing for people to stop sending money, saying that the December 26 tsunami devastation in the Indian Ocean risked taking the spotlight away from other pressing crises, such as Darfur in Sudan.
news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11899242%255E1702,00.html