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PLA troops active in tsunami relief
As world raced to supply food and water to millions of tsunami victims, the Chinese army has been active in what may be the country's largest peacetime overseas humanitarian mission ever. Across China, people of all ages were making donations. Though the toll of Chinese deaths stood unchanged at 12 yesterday, the fate of the missing caused much concern.
Aircraft carrying more than US$7.6 million worth of Chinese mainland's relief materials as well as others from Hong Kong have been sent to the afflicted region in the past week. The Ministry of National Defence and the General Logistics Department of People's Liberation Army are involved in relief operations in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, the hardest hit areas. The next destination will be the Maldives. Since the tragedy, the army has airlifted nearly 500 tons of food, water, milk powder, blankets, tents, clothing, generators, telecommunication equipment, medical tools and medicines. A task force was sent to some provinces in China to collect goods on December 27. The first batch of Chinese relief supplies arrived in Sri Lanka on December 29 and the second batch, on January 3, said Senior Colonel Guan Youfei, who is co-ordinating the operation.
"All the corporations we contacted answered the call for producing relief supplies immediately," he said, adding besides the capital city, nearby provinces also provided a large number of goods. Within such a short preparatory time, nearly everything is under consideration. Guan and his colleagues have even contacted several Islamic food corporations to produce relief supplies for the Muslims in hit areas. "The next batch of supplies will be medicines, rice, and water dispensers," said Guan, adding the Chinese have always keep contact with those affected areas so as to maintain an understanding of precisely what is needed. The military frequently provides humanitarian aid abroad, though always on a much smaller scale as is currently the cases in Afghanistan and in Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Zhang Bangdong, director of the foreign affairs office at the ministry, said it was the largest disaster relief mission undertaken abroad by the Chinese military in decades and possibly the largest in the history of the army. Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan said earlier the Chinese Government has shown great concern over the situation in the tsunami-hit countries.
"If we go by past history, yes, I do have concern," Annan said. "We've got
over US$2 billion but it is quite likely that at the end of the day we will not
receive all of it."
Annan cited shortfalls in aid promised after the Bam, Iran earthquake in
December 2003, where money fell short of pledges.
"I think we stand a better chance of getting a substantial portion of the
pledges and contributions that have been made, but I will not be surprised if we
do not get all the money. That is the history we live with," Annan said.
At the same time, officials called on the world to remember other people in
need.
"The rich world should be able to foot the bill for feeding all the children
in the world," he said. "It's one day's worth of military spending," Egeland
said.
"We will follow up and we will hold those pledging to their pledges."
Egeland said, while applauding the international response so far as "truly
overwhelming."
"That would then lead to an analysis of the debt needs of these countries
with the possibility of some write-off of debt,'' Gordon Brown, the Chancellor
of the Exchequer (finance minister), told BBC Radio.
Brown is hoping that a deal, which has the backing of the United States, will
be announced at a meeting of the Paris Club of sovereign lenders when it meets
on January 12.
While survivors of last week's Indian Ocean tsunami are still suffering from
horrific physical injuries, doctors are beginning to report more and more cases
of diarrhea, dehydration and mental trauma,.
People not only risk infections such as gangrene from their injuries, they
are also facing respiratory complications and psychological trauma,said Dr John
Howe, president and chief executive officer of Project HOPE. |
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![Students and officers of the Electronic Engineering Institute of the People's Liberation Army make donations in Hefei in east China's Anhui province January 4, 2005 to the tsunami-hit countries in Asia. The Anhui Red Cross called on residents of the province to offer a helping hand to the tsunami survivors in South and Southeast Asia, China state media reported. [newsphoto]](xin_540102051132617224816.jpg)
