More aid from the international community poured into tsunami-devastated south Asian coastal nations on Wednesday as death toll from the catastrophe climbed toover 65,000 and concerns grew over epidemic outbreaks.
A China Southern Airline plane arrived in Sri Lanka Wednesday afternoon, bring relief goods worth 10 million yuan (around US$1.22 million) and 200,000 dollars in cash. The second batch of 50-ton Chinese relief cargo is to arrive in Indonesia's Jakarta soon.
China has so far provided 21.63 million yuan (about US$2.7 million) in emergency humanitarian aid to India, Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
New Zealand has increased its aid package to 5 million NZ dollars (about US$3.55 million) and will send a 10-member team to hard-hit Thai resort of Phuket to help identify bodies, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said in a statement Wednesday.
The New Zealand government had earlier donated 500,000 NZ dollars (about US$355,000) to the Red Cross for aid, and aRoyal New Zealand Air Force transport aircraft left Tuesday to work with the Australian air force on a relief mission.
Australian Governor-General Michael Jeffery Wednesday also promised "the Australian government will do all it can to participate in appropriate relief and assistance measures."
The country announced 25 million dollars (US$19.2 million) as new relief fund, bringing its total support to 35 million dollars (US$26.9 million).
South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon announced his government will send additional US$1.6 million to the affected countries.
It previously promised to donate US$600,000 to help those countries' rehabilitation.
Singapore has joined international aid effort by offering about2 million Singapore dollars (about US$1.2 million) humanitarian aid package to the affected countries.
On Tuesday, a Singapore military C-130 plane airlifted relief and medical supplies to Medan, Indonesia, and more such relief supplies are scheduled to be airlifted to other disaster-stricken countries in the coming days.
The European Union pledged some 30 million euros (US$40.8 million) in emergency aid, after first releasing 3 million euros.
France sent a chartered plane to Colombo with about 100 doctors,rescue specialists and communications experts, along with six tonsof equipment, including drugs and a field medical post.
Japan has also sent a 20-member medical team, including four physicians and seven nurses, to southern Sri Lanka and said more aid is on the way.
The United States plans to provide an initial US$15 million in aid and US$100,000 each already released to India,Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. It has also sent three patrol aircraft to assess damage there.
The International Committee of the Red Cross has sent a cargo plane from Kenya to Sri Lanka carrying 105 tons of supplies for the basic needs of 50,000 people hit by the disaster.
Besides, a disaster assessment and coordination office has beenset up by the United Nations to offer assistance to the victim countries, sending aid to the area and calling for more donations.
Early Sunday, an 8.7-magnitude earthquake in the Indian Ocean sent high waves crashing onto the shores of coastal Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Maldives and Bangladesh, and submerged villages and towns.
(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2004)
