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SYDNEY - Australia is so far the single-largest official donor to the tsunami
aid effort, and public and private donations combined from the country have
topped US$1 billion nearly three months after the Dec. 26 disaster.
More than 300,000 people across 13 Indian Ocean nations were killed in the
tsunami or are missing. Following are figures compiled by Reuters.
-- The Australia government made the biggest single aid pledge, A$1 billion (US$787.4 million) to Indonesia, the nation worst hit by the tsunami.
Last week Australia announced the first disbursement of that pledge, A$50 million, would be spent rebuilding the main hospital in Aceh.
Australia's A$1 billion consists of grant assistance and financing, offering Indonesia A$500 million interest free for up to 40 years, with no repayment of the principal for 10 years.
The government also donated A$60 million immediately after the tsunami disaster in three aid packages to the United Nations and international aid groups.
-- The Australian Council for International Development, which monitors non-government organisations, estimates total tsunami aid donated by Australians at around A$280 million (US$220.5 million) as of March.
Below are the largest tsunami funds:
Australian Red Cross, www.redcross.org.au
A$103 million
World Vision Australia, www.worldvision.com.au
A$80 million
CARE Australia, www.careaustralia.org.au
A$32 million
Oxfam/Community Aid Abroad, www.oxfam.org.au
A$23.5 million
Caritas Australia, www.caritas.org.au
$20 million
UNICEF Australia, www.unicef.org.au
A$7.0 million
Baptist World Aid Australia, www.shareanopportunity.org
A$3.0 million
Christian Blind Mission International, www.cbmi.org.au
A$3.0 million
Adventist Development and Relief Agency, www.adra.org.au
A$1.8 million
Plan Australia, www.plan.org.au
A$1.7 million
TEAR Australia, www.tear.org.au
A$1.12 million
AUSTCARE, www.austcare.org.au
A$1.0 million
Union Aid Abroad, www.apheda.org.au
A$1.0 million
(US$1=A$1.27)
(Source: Australian government www.ausaid.gov.au, aid organisations, Australian Council for International Development www.acfid.asn.au/campaigns/asiaearthquake.htm#appeals)
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE |