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Gujarat
Earthquake - Media Coverage
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February 2001, The Hindu, New Delhi, India
Donations
continue to pour in
By Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, JAN. 31. Donations and relief materials continued to pour in today with
the European Union pooling in 38 million Euros (Rs. 160 crores) while Oman, which was the first to send a
consignment of aid, sent two more by chartered flights. Bhutan has also contributed Bhutanese currency 20 million to the Prime
Minister's Relief Fund.
Japan has sent emergency grant aid of $700,000 apart from two consignments of relief materials. These comprise emergency
rehabilitation goods along with consignment of health kits that reached yesterday, bringing material assistance to
Rs. 1.14 crores. Denmark has granted assistance amounting to $1.8 million including
a complete mobile medical unit, donations to the Red Cross, Lutheran World
Federation and the U.N. Italy has committed to $2.8 million and is sending a team of
experts along with the World Food Programme (WFP). The WFP is organising emergency airlifts of essential items such as health kits, blankets,
and generators on behalf of the U.N. Humanitarian Response, OCHA, WHO and the Italian Government.
The first flight was to have landed today at Bhuj and a second flight is due to arrive
on Friday with tents and blankets.
Turkey has sent additional relief material to Bhuj consisting of tents, blankets as well
as medicine and medical equipment. This is in apart from its 35-member search and
rescue team already working in Bhuj. The U.S. auto giant, General Motors, has
contributed $100,000 to the relief efforts. It will use one of its latest Internet sites, GM
Global Aid to provide up to the minute news and information on the relief efforts.
Vladimir Radyuhin reports from Moscow:
The Russian flagship airline Aeroflot will start flying relief supplies from Europe to
Gujarat in February. The planes will operate from the airfield in Bhuj, the RIA Novosti
news agency reported. The Aeroflot representative in Mumbai, Mr. Igor
Ivlev, told RIA Novosti that the Indian authorities had agreed to charge no money for servicing
Aeroflot planes carrying relief aid and to provide them with fuel at IAF reduced rates.
Amit Baruah reports from Singapore:
A Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) C-130 transport plane took off from the
Paya Lebar base this morning for Bhuj carrying $50,000 worth of modular tents,
ground sheets and blankets for the quake victims in Gujarat.
Talking to presspersons, Major P. Ramachandra, RSAF officer in-charge of the relief mission, said the aircraft would be flying to
Bhuj via Ahmedabad.
U.S. resolution on quake
By Sridhar Krishnaswami
WASHINGTON, JAN. 31. A bi-partisan, bi-cameral resolution on the earthquake in India is being taken up in the House of
Representatives and the Senate today. The non-binding resolution is intended to recognise the earthquake's enormity and
express sympathy for the victims and support for additional American and international assistance to India.
The sponsors of the resolution in the House are Mr. Jim McDermott, Mr. Edward Royce and Mr. Robert Menendez; and in the Senate are the Democratic Senator
from New Jersey, Mr. Robert Torricelli and the Republican from Kansas, Mr. Sam
Brownback. "As with the recent tragedy in El Salvador, we must join efforts again to provide immediate assistance to the Indian
Government, victims' families and thousands of survivors,'' Mr. Menendez said in a statement.
The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the executive agent for all Department of Defence Humanitarian Affairs, has
announced that it was sending over US $ 1.5 millions in vital equipment to the disaster relief by military airlift. The
equipment is being provided to India at no cost.
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