Kuwait Donates $500 Million For Hurricane Relief

AP ^ | 9-4-05 | my favorite headache

[My Favorite Headache]

Kuwait Pledges $500M for Hurricane Relief Updated: Sunday, Sep. 4, 2005 - 11:26 AM

KUWAIT CITY (AP) - The oil-rich Persian Gulf state of Kuwait said Sunday it will donate $500 million in aid to U.S. relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina.

The offer is the largest known put forward since the hurricane ravaged Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and follows a $100 million aid donation from the emir of a Mideast neighbor, Qatar.

Kuwait's energy minister said his country would provide "oil products that the disaster-stricken states need in addition to other humanitarian aid."

"It's our duty as Kuwaitis to stand by our friends to lighten the humanitarian misery and as a payback for the many situations during which Washington helped us through the significant relations between the two friendly countries," Sheik Ahmed Fahd Al Ahmed Al Sabah said in a statement carried by Kuwait's official news agency, KUNA.

Kuwait is one of America's closest Mideast allies and owes its 1991 liberation from Iraqi occupation forces to a U.S.-led coalition that drove Saddam Hussein's army out.

Kuwait and Qatar's donations came as the Egypt-based 22-member Arab League called on Arab nations to provide relief to the U.S.

The Arab League said that its secretary-general, Amr Moussa, sent a cable of "deep condolences and regret to the U.S. administration over the effect of Hurricane Katrina ... and called on all Arab countries to extend aid to the United States to face the exceptional humane circumstances."

[BJungNan]

I agree! Thanks Kuwait!

[reagan_fanatic]

Wow. God bless Kuwait!

[cwiz24]

Quoted verbatim from the introductory post of the "Katrina Live Thread XIII":

The Port of New Orleans is now open to shallow draft vessels. Congress is reconvening in an emergency session. International offers to assist the U.S. have been received from Russia, Japan, Canada, France, Honduras, Germany, Venezuela, Jamaica, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, Hungary, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, China, South Korea, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, NATO and the Organization of American States.

[newzjunkey]

Thank you, Kuwait!

[HonestConservative]

Thank you Kuwait, God Bless you.

[Rightly Biased]

How many people where displaced?

Maybe 1.5 mil?

So Give each one a mil.?

Yeah Right?

[Caramelgal]

Does anyone know if there is a comprehensive thread for countries and corporations who have donated to relief efforts? Here’s a few to add

Spain joins the global effort to stem US oil crisis
http://www.iht.com/getina/files/273417.html

Carnival sending three ships for refugees
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8CCTKJO1.htm?campaign_id=apn_home_down&chan=db

Lilly Donates $1M, Medical Supplies to Hurricane Relief (Evil Pharmaceutical)
http://www.wishtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3799842&nav=0Ra7e4vJ

[twigs]

$100 mil IS a biggie. But I expected a lot from Kuwait. They exist as a sovereign state because of us. As a whole, they are pro-US.

[Walkenfree]

Thank you for posting that, and let it remind us to get the facts before we spout off.
OUR HUMBLE THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT IS HELPING THE VICTIMS OF OUR NATION'S BIGGEST DISASTER.

[La Enchiladita]

Beautiful! Wow! Thank you, Kuwait! This feels good, for the USA to be receiving aid...

[M0sby]

Aid offered by other countries including "France, Germany, Poland, England, Italy... the list goes on."

It is a CNN story..so I will just post the link:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/04/katrina.world.aid/index.html

[M0sby]

"WHERES FRANCE????? New Orleans is a French founded town! WHERES FRANCE????"

"France has offered mobile help from rescue teams in the French Antilles in the Caribbean, including a civil defense detachment of 35 people, tents, camp beds, generators, motor pumps, water treatment units and emergency kits, two CASA cargo aircraft, a ship (Batral Francis Garnier) and the frigate Ventose with its Panther helicopter, and a hurricane disaster unit. France also has offered assistance from the French mainland, including several aircraft. In addition, the NGO Telecoms Sans Frontieres, which specializes in restoring phone lines and Internet service in disasters, is ready to send a team of experts and equipment. Veolia Environment, which has facilities in Louisiana, has offered to make its local water management resources available."

From this story here: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/04/katrina.world.aid/index.html

[M0sby]

"Does anyone know if there is a comprehensive thread for countries and corporations who have donated to relief efforts? "

Here is a country list...
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/04/katrina.world.aid/index.html

[tet68]

Thank you Kuwait, a friend and ally, we came as liberators,
we did NOT stay, and our hands are further joined by this
effort.

[SevenofNine]

Alright rack Kuwait see some people don't forget that it was US who got thier a*** out of fire

[Prince Charles]

Has Mexico offered one plug nickel to take care of its own illegal alien refugees?

[Pajamajan]

Thank you Kuwait- true friends come through when times are tough.

[P-Marlowe]

Wow I'm impressed that works out to less than .000000001% of their annual revenue

It's actually about .2% of their last year's earnings.

[La Enchiladita]

EXCELLENT QUESTION!!

[investigateworld]

Thanks for the info. WM could actually keep the cash and do what they do best: Move stuff very efficiently.
Looks like a triple hit for them, between loss of stores, higher fuel costs and broke customers.