January 7, 2005

Help On The Way To South Asia

By Congressman Joe Pitts

On December 26, 2004 the most powerful earthquake in 40 years shook the Indonesian island of Sumatra .  The earthquake set off a chain of tsunamis that hit 12 nations, killing more than 150,000 people.

The international community acted quickly to get relief to the region.  That effort is ongoing and will continue until the region is rebuilt.

President Bush, I believe, has done a good job identifying what our government can do right away and putting the pieces in place for a long-term effort.  He began by pledging $350 million to the victims and the nations affected.  More than $40 million has been distributed already.  As Congress meets to draft legislation to send federal money to the relief effort, this number is sure to grow.

To date, governments around the world have pledged a total of $4 billion.  United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan called on nations to begin fulfilling these pledges by sending the first installment of funds immediately.

President Bush appointed former Presidents Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush to lead a massive fundraising effort in response to this disaster.

In addition to money, President Bush has sent military assets to the region to assist in the coordination and delivery of humanitarian supplies and funds.  Military personnel are assisting in the clean up and providing security.  Military equipment is being used to deliver supplies.

Civilian search and rescue teams have also been deployed from here in the United States to provide assistance as well.

But the most effective and comprehensive aid our nation can send is not from the government, by from our people.  During his trip to the region this week, Secretary of State Colin Powell said “the reason we are providing this assistance is because the United States frankly we are a generous people. We believe in helping others who are in need.” 

Americans have already given hundreds of millions of dollars to relief organizations and charities.  Unbelievably, citizens from here and around the world have given so much that some charities have become overloaded with funds and are now requesting that donations be sent elsewhere.

I applaud the efforts of so many here in this area at home to help the people of this region recover from this dreadful tragedy. 

The Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is one example of a group from our area taking a leading role in the relief effort.  The group is preparing a $3.5 million relief effort to include $2.5 million in cash and $1 million in material aid, according to the group’s website (http://www.mcc.org). 

This week dozens of volunteers packed MCC headquarters here in Lancaster County to pack bales of clothing donated to the families of Indonesia , India , and Sri Lanka .  Next week MCC in conjunction with the Church World service will airlift food and medical supplies to the region.  Its assessment teams are already in place on the ground in India , Sri Lanka , and Indonesia to review the damage and determine how best to use the aid being sent from MCC’s headquarters here.

Countless churches, schools, and other organizations in this area are also raising money, collecting food, gathering clothes, and stockpiling medicine to ship to South Asia to assist in easing the suffering of the people there.

As a wealthy nation, we have a responsibility to respond to disasters like this and work to minimize their impact in the future.  We will continue to answer the needs of those affected by the tsunamis and work with these nations to dig out and rebuild the communities affected.

I hope that each person in the 16th District will join the millions of others around the world in contributing to the relief effort.  For assistance in finding organizations to support, visit the website of the USA Freedom Corps at http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

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