# Massive tsunami kills 150,000+ in Asia



## leopard11 (26 Dec 2004)

8.9 on the richter scale, worlds largest in 40 years, 5th largest since 1900.
Story from CTV.ca

Tidal waves kill more than 3,300 in Asia 
Associated Press

JAKARTA, Indonesia â â€ The world's most powerful earthquake in 40 years triggered massive waves that slammed into villages and seaside resorts across Asia on Sunday, killing more than 3,200 people in five countries.

Tourists, fishermen, homes and cars were swept away by walls of water up to six metres high unleashed by the 8.9-magnitude earthquake, centred off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

A police spokesman in Sri Lanka said 1,677 people were killed in that country. Officials in India reported 1,000 dead. More than 400 were reported killed in Indonesia, 158 in Thailand and 25 in Malaysia. Hundreds were reported missing, and the death toll was expected to rise.

The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at a magnitude of 8.9. Geophysicist Julie Martinez said it was the world's fifth-largest since 1900 and the largest since a 9.2 temblor hit Prince William Sound Alaska in 1964.

The effects of Sunday's quake rippled across the region, as towns were crushed by floodwater from tsunamis -- seismic waves that are commonly known as tidal waves -- and helpless fishermen were swept out to sea.

In Sri Lanka -- some 1,600 kilometres west of the quake's epicentre -- police spokesman Rienzie Perera said 1,677 had died. Some one million others were displaced by the waters.

"The death toll is going up all the time. Two hours back it was 1,000, one hour back it was 1,300 and now I am told it is climbing to 1,500,'' said Lalith Weerathunga, secretary to the prime minister.

An Associated Press photographer near Colombo, Sri Lanka, counted 24 bodies in a stretch of six kilometres. Rows of men and women stood on the road asking whether anyone had seen their family members.

Monster waves in southern India killed about 1,000 people, mostly in Tamil Nadu state, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said. Beaches were turned into virtual open-air mortuaries, with bodies of people caught in the waves being washed ashore.

"I was shocked to see innumerable fishing boats flying on the shoulder of the waves, going back and forth into the sea, as if made of paper,'' said P. Ramanamurthy, 40, who lives in Andra Pradesh's Kakinada town. "I had never imagined anything like this could happen.''

Cabinet Secretary B. K. Chaturvedi told reporters that the Indian air force would drop food packets, medicines and diesel generating sets in the affected areas.

Near the quake's epicentre, in Indonesia, officials said the death toll was 400.

Communications were down in several coastal towns nearest to the undersea quake off the western coast of the island's Aceh Province, raising fears of widespread and as yet unreported damage.

"The ground was shaking for a long time,'' resident Yayan Zamzani told Jakarta's el-Shinta radio station.

Thousands of people abandoned their homes and headed for higher ground after the earthquake. At least one Indonesian village, Lancuk, was nearly destroyed, witnesses said. An Associated Press reporter in the village saw several bodies wedged in trees.

Some 158 people died in popular southern Thailand resorts, the Narenthorn Centre of the Public Health Ministry reported. The centre said people were swept away in Phuket by a tsunami with five-metre waves.

More than 1,900 were injured and many others were missing.

Huge waves crashed into beaches, where thousands of tourists were lazing on the country's renowned white sand beaches when the earthquake struck. Hundreds of bungalows, boats and cars were carried out to sea.

Police and rescue workers in Malaysia said 15 people were killed. Tens of thousands of people were temporarily evacuated from high-rise hotels and apartments in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and other cities after most of peninsular Malaysia felt tremors caused by the quake.

Foreign Affairs officials in Ottawa said they have not received any word of Canadian casualties, but added Canadian diplomats in the region were still trying to gather information on the disaster.

Indonesia, a country of 17,000 islands, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the margins of tectonic plates that make up the so-called the "Ring of Fire'' around the Pacific Ocean basin.

The Indonesian quake struck just three days after an 8.1 quake struck the ocean floor between Australia and Antarctica, causing buildings to shake hundreds of kilometres away but no serious damage or injury.

Quakes reaching a magnitude 8 are very rare. A quake registering magnitude 8 rocked Japan's northern island of Hokkaido on Sept. 25, 2003, injuring nearly 600 people. An 8.4 magnitude tremor that stuck off the coast of Peru on June 23, 2001, killed 74.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104066217280_57/?hub=TopStories


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## leopard11 (26 Dec 2004)

unfortunately the death toll was just raised to 5600 with notes saying it is expected to raise again,
sad day,


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## Michael OLeary (26 Dec 2004)

From the CBC News site:



> 8.9 magnitude quake, massive waves kill thousands in Asia
> Last Updated Sun, 26 Dec 2004 10:11:20 EST
> 
> COLOMBO - About 7,000 people are reported dead after a strong Indian Ocean earthquake triggered massive tidal waves in Sri Lanka, southern India, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.


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## Sheerin (26 Dec 2004)

eerie that it was a year ago today that the Iranian city of Bam was devistated by a huge earthquake... what was the death toll from that one?  I think it was up around 10,000 people.

I have a feeling this disaster will easily double it. 

Sad day.


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## atticus (26 Dec 2004)

This is the link for anybody who wants to read it for themselves: http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/12/26/quake041226.html


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## JasonH (26 Dec 2004)

It's 10,000+ now  :'(


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## someguyincanada (26 Dec 2004)

my prayers go out to all the familys


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## Bruce Monkhouse (26 Dec 2004)

Just watched some of the very disturbing video of the death and destruction, unbelievable. 
Death toll now at 12,000 confirmed with thousands more expected.
Lets hope the world can get together and help out as much as humanly possible.


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## leopard11 (27 Dec 2004)

when i was watching a news show ( i think it was BBC, i may be wrong) an expert in earthquakes was being interviewed and noted some facts on Tsunamis:

-it takes an earthquake of over 7.0 richter to initiate one (the initial quake was 8.9, the first aftershock was 7.0/7.2)
-3 signs to an oncoming tsunami: Shaking of the earth, fast withdrawl of the water from the coast/beaches (kinda like somebody pulled the plug at the bottom of the ocean),and finally an extremely loud blast sound,
-from that point you have 5-10 minutes to get the heck out of there, 
-swells today were reported from 6-15 meters high (from what ive heard so far, could be more, 100m waives were said to be able to occur)


also
-Largest Earthquake in 40 years
-5th largest Earthquake since 1900


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## Bruce Monkhouse (27 Dec 2004)

Quote,
_-from that point you have 5-10 minutes to get the heck out of there, _

..the fact it can travel at 800 Km per hour and can go more than a Km inland means......no time.


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## leopard11 (27 Dec 2004)

sorry, that should read 5-10 mins from the time of the shaking, 

im just drawing from the news report, if hes wrong hes wrong

i found the "Fact Sheet: Tsunamis" from the Federal Emergency Management Agency http://www.fema.gov/hazards/tsunamis/tsunamif.shtm

Quote from article:
"Stay away from the beach.
Never go down to the beach to watch a tsunami come in. *If you can see the wave you are too close to escape it*.
"


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## ramy (27 Dec 2004)

Terrible news to hear considering that its Christmas time. Supposedly the waves were 12 meters high and swept inland for a kilometer in certain areas.


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## JasonH (27 Dec 2004)

>
BREAKING NEWS

Tsunami death toll climbs to 20,000 as fear of disease grows in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Details soon.

News ticker on CNN  :'(


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## scm77 (27 Dec 2004)

23,000 plus now.   Hopefully the international aid arrives quickly, so they can save as many people as possible.

Just a note to Sheerin's statement about the earthquake in Iran last year.  The deathtoll was actually closer to 50,000 rather then 10,000

rip


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## Sheerin (27 Dec 2004)

I stand corrected - thanks for pointing that out.

I wonder what, or more accurately, if the CF will deploy to help?  I also saw that Martin has pledged a generous 1 million dollars to help... they didn't say if that was in money or supplies...


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## 1feral1 (27 Dec 2004)

We have a friend who is visiting Sri Lanka over Christmas. Her brother moved his clothing factory from Australia to Sri Lanka a few years back. No one has heard from her yet.

The surge was so big, it also reached the Cocos Islands, and as far as Perth WA, Australia.

The RAAF has disptached some C130J's from Sydney, full of bottled water and other aid, and our govt has pleged $10,000,000 in relief.

Fox now says 24,000 killed. 6 Australians now confirmed killed in Thailand. This includes a 6 month old baby girl from WA, who was swept from her dad's arms by the water, a 3 yr old girl from WA, an 81 yr old woman from WA, and a 15 yr old handicapped boy from Melbourne. At least 10 others are missing.


Wes


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## ErorZ (27 Dec 2004)

Toll from killer waves nears 24,000
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/2004/12/27/newer-tsunami041226.html

This article also contains information on how many Canadians are dead/missing or hospitilized in each affected country.


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## leopard11 (27 Dec 2004)

Another 3 million dollars has been pledged by Canada, total is 4million now, with more said to come

from CTV.ca article


> Defence Minister Bill Graham says Canada is donating an additional $3 million in tsunami and earthquake relief as Canadians scrambled to make contact with their friends and family in the affected regions.
> 
> This brings Canada's donation to a total of $4 million. The money is going to the International Red Cross and Canadian NGOs.
> 
> "This is an immediate response, it's not the last," Graham said during a Monday news conference.



full article can be found here: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104182657868_18/?hub=TopStories


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## Storm (27 Dec 2004)

I guess Graham hasn't completely left foreign affairs yet... can't imagine why else the defence minister would be talking about foreign aid spending.

This is the kind of thing you wish would never happen. I truly hope the number stops climbing.   :'(


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## JBP (27 Dec 2004)

I know this is a horrible thread to bring it up over, but I can't help but notice that Canada can somehow just "throw" 4 million out to help other nations but won't and apparently CAN'T increase our defense budget by even $1 million...


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## Kirkhill (27 Dec 2004)

You're right Joe.

It's a horrible thread to bring it up over.


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## a_majoor (27 Dec 2004)

> *Save 'em all, and let God sort them out *
> Via Tim Blair, a reader at the SMH writes:
> 
> It is a sad and grim reminder of how vulnerable we are to the force of nature. A pity our army is busy fighting America's immoral war when they should be providing assistance to the affected areas.
> ...




At least the Australians arn't sitting on their bums, but have plans. capability and commitment to help their neighbors. Pity our big heads in Ottawa can't figure out why our influence is leaking away so fast.


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## Bill Smy (27 Dec 2004)

In all the news reports I've seen on TV or read in newspapers, all the analysis as to the danger to North America has concentrated on the west coast and the "ring of fire". Last summer, I watched a documentary during the hurricane season which discussed this type of natural disaster but its emphasis was on the Atlantic coast.

A major group of undersea dormant volcanic mountains lies just west of the Azores. It is believed that one side of one of these mountains has the potential to "slump" into an ocean valley, and the commentator said it was just a matter of time that it did.

If so, it would create tidal waves within hours (I think he said 7) on the east coast reaching 150 to 250 feet high (higher than Niagara Falls). New York City would be in the major disaster area. Significant damage would occur as far north as the Maritimes, with much of PEI disappearing and the lower parts of Montreal harbour flooding.

The west coast of Africa, Portugal, France and southern England and Ireland would be devastated. 

An earthquake in the Azores in 1755 inflicted over 100,000 deaths in Portugal/Spain/France with the accompanying damage. There was damage in New York, and water level change at Monteal.

I understand that the British have built flood gates in the Thames estuary to cater to just this type of natural disaster.

Just a matter of time?


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## Sheerin (28 Dec 2004)

Everything with this planet is a 'matter of time'.  Remember the Earth is, as recent events show, a living planet that it is constantly changing.  

Just think that in a matter of years (albeit billions of years) our sun will run out of hydrogen and then expand, destroying the Earth in the process.  

 It is no doubt a terrible tragedy, and sadly it won't be the last of which we'll live through.... lets just hope nothing else major happens during our life times...


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## jmackenzie_15 (28 Dec 2004)

I saw something similar about earthquakes, Los Angelas and Hong Kong are supposedly the biggest earthquake timebombs, both cities are dead on major faults.Im not positive if it was Hong Kong or not, it was that or Tokyo.

But i guess when you think about it, there arent many places to live on earth without some kind of considerable force of nature that could easily kill alot of people.Tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes... and as for out of nature we have warlords, diseases, predatorial animals....... hmm i think ill just stay inside.

Have they mentioned on CBC tonight whether or not theres any indication the government will send foreign aid workers and not just money?


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## dglad (28 Dec 2004)

A generalization, but any ocean basin is a place of change--and, in geological terms, quite rapid change.  Ocean basins are characterized by significant plate tectonic spreading in their central regions, and collisions with continental plates along their margins.  The result is a dynamic and energetic environment, with volcanically-active mid-oceanic ridges, and tectonically active continental margins.  Unfortunately, the margins of ocean basins are also the most heavily populated parts of the planet.  Add in the fact that you have a medium that is very efficient at quickly moving around energy--water--and its a recipe for disaster after disaster.

Someone mentioned the Azores--indeed, there's a large section of one volcanic island that has already partially separated from the rest.  If it slumps into the ocean, it will project a wave pattern that will radiate westward, directly towards eastern North America and Carribbean.  And in the Pacific, a large section of the "big island" is separated from the rest by a fault in a similar way.  It would fall southwards, affecting the entire Pacific basin less anything more or less north of a line of latitude through Hawaii.  

Yikes.

What concerns me (as a geologist) about the present situation in SE Asia is that a magnitude 9 earthquake represents a fundamental redistribution of energy i.e. it's likely that the patterns of stress have changed on a regional scale.  There may be other seismic events, potentially even large ones, elsewhere in SE Asia.  Hopefully, they'd be in less populated areas and beneath land, so an already enormous tragedy isn't made even worse.


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## winchable (28 Dec 2004)

31,000 was the final toll for the Iranian Earthquake.(some sources at 40,000)
GIven that the toll for this is 24,000 so far and the extent of the effects aren't even known yet I believe it might be much worse.

I would wager one of the worst natural disasters to happen in a very,very long time and hopefully not a sign of things to come.
What bothers me, watch the coverage on the television and you start to get a sense for that "small numbers are a tragedy where large numbers are statistics" adage. Jack Johnson wrote a good song about that "The News" I think it's called.

"Over 24,000 are dead so far, next up...a cow with a picture of the virgin mary on its side and a college student whining about how they can't get home."
I wonder if it weren't for the fact that some of these places are chock full of resorts if we'd be hearing even this much...
I don't know, sort of puts your own problems into perspective and makes you think about what is important, awful that it takes such an event however.

You can only imagine how awful it must be considering how densley populated the area is and how basic some medical clinics are to begin with, add in damage from the tidal waves and the after effects of these are going to be just as bad as the immediate effects were.
I just hope that people take the term "Global Villiage" more literally here and the aid starts pouring in.

As of 7:46AM Atl. Time, the toll is at 26,000, when I went to bed last night it was at 22,000.


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## JBP (28 Dec 2004)

Here's an update. I was watching Global News at 7:40AM and they said death toll AT least 40,000 now and gave a breakdown of each country's losses. Right now Sri Lanka is at 9,000 and that's mediocore and their officials said they expect to end up around 25,000 by themselves. They're still pulling bodies out of the streets... Half of them children.... That breaks my heart.

Another report...

Death toll from massive tsunami nears 40,000 
CTV.ca News Staff

Medical supplies and food aid poured into the areas devastated by the massive tsunami on Tuesday, as the death toll neared 40,000 across 11 countries.

Millions more are homeless and thousands remain unaccounted for just two days after the deadliest tsunami in 120 years.

Throughout the region, beaches have become makeshift open-air morgues, with weeping survivors scrambling over piles of corpses, looking for missing loved ones. Some are saying the final numbers of dead might never be fully known.

Among the worst hit by Sunday's 9.0 magnitude earthquake were Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia and Thailand. The quake sparked waves measuring six to 10 metres high, and travelled as far as Malaysia and parts of Africa.

As the damage is assessed and the dead counted, the numbers are astounding. Sri Lanka on Tuesday raised its death toll past 18,700, while Indonesia's toll hit 7,000. Although the vice president said it could reach 25,000.

Also hard hit was India, where close to 9,500 people have been confirmed dead by officials.

In Thailand, the death toll nearly doubled Tuesday to 1,473, following the discovery of 750 bodies at a resort near the popular tourist destination of Phuket.

The massive wave also killed people in Malaysia, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya.

Three Canadians have been confirmed dead -- two killed in Thailand and one in Sri Lanka.

Another 12 Canadians were injured, and two others are officially listed as missing, according to The Associated Press. However, other reports put the number of missing at 18.

Aid efforts

United Nations emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland said the disaster may be the costliest in history.

He said the tsunami was not the largest ever recorded "but the effects may be the biggest ever because many more people live in exposed areas than ever before."

Egeland, who is also in charge of emergency relief said "an enormous relief effort is on its way."

At least one-third of the reported dead are children, according to UNICEF. 

As aid workers scramble to help survivors, there are fears that diseases such as cholera could kill many more. Another danger that has surfaced in Sri Lanka is uprooted land mines, which have been washed out of fields.

But what officials are likely most worried about is the lack of fresh drinking water.

"There is a real concern by authorities that people are resorting to drinking sea water or polluted water," said CTV's Matt McClure, reporting from Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Swept away

Tourists sunbathing on beaches were simply swept away along with fishermen at sea. Villagers in coastal towns drowned in their homes or were killed by waves of debris.

"All of a sudden in the distance, you could see this incredible wall of water moving forward,'' Ottawa native Daniel Galler told Ottawa radio station CFRA.

Now a businessman in the Philippines, Galler, 32, was on vacation at Patong Beach in Thailand when a tsunami hit on Sunday.

"From a distance it didn't look like much, but all of a sudden, it's moving forward quicker and quicker and quicker and the next thing you know, you've got three storeys (of water) above you.''

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has declared a national disaster. Government officials say more than one million people, or around five per cent of the island's population, have been affected.

The tiny Maldives -- a string of coral islands off the southwest coast of India that are barely above sea level, and about 2,500 km from the quake's epicentre -- are now two-thirds submerged by water.

The United States prepared a $15 million aid package to the Asian countries, and the 25-nation European Union promised to quickly deliver $4 million. Canada promised $4 million with more likely to come.

Canadians wishing to donate aid to quake relief can call the Red Cross at 1-800-418-1111 or UNICEF at 1-877-955-3111. 

With a report from CTV's Matt McClure and files from The Associated Press


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## Edward Campbell (28 Dec 2004)

This is from today's _National Post_; I have copied it in full for those who do not subscribe.   For those who do not know him: David Bercuson (University of Calgary) is a a very switched on fellow with excellent connections inside DND, including within the senior ranks of the military.   I trust his judgement re: potential embarrassing problem, politically embarassing that is, with air lift. (Emphasis is mine.)



> Armed Forces disaster team grounded by paperwork
> Military expert 'appalled' by slow Canadian response
> Chris Wattie
> National Post
> ...


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## leopard11 (28 Dec 2004)

CTV.ca is reporting the death toll has now surpassed 50,000 people, across 11 countries.Deadliest Tsunami in 120 years. according to UNICEF, 1/3 of the dead are children 

from CTV.ca


> As the damage is assessed and the dead counted, the numbers are astounding. Sri Lanka on Tuesday raised its death toll past 18,700, while Indonesia's toll hit 19,000. Although the vice president said it could reach 25,000.
> 
> Also hard hit was India, where more than 11,000 people have been confirmed dead by officials.
> 
> ...


Full article can be found here: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104234317499_82/?hub=TopStories


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## McG (28 Dec 2004)

Are most of the ATHENA guys on leave in that area accounted for already?


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## Danjanou (28 Dec 2004)

IIRC there was a retired CF member posting here about a year ago that lived in southern Thailand. He was chatting with Sapper Earl and I re places to go there. (Earl has been there a few times and I was on my way for a trip). One hopes he's ok. 

I'm going to look through old posts for name/contact info.

The magnitude of this defies description. CTV just reported over 30 Canadians missing in Thailand. Over 10,000 Canadians visit there each month in high tourist season (now).


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## Edward Campbell (28 Dec 2004)

MCG said:
			
		

> Are most of the ATHENA guys on leave in that area accounted for already?



According to one of this morning's papers there were (I think) 11 Op ATHENA people on leave in Thailand - probably in Phuket - and three (I think, again) were not yet (last night?) accounted for.


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## 1feral1 (28 Dec 2004)

I had heard on CNN that France has ONLY donated $140,000 US dollars. :

Although every dollar is needed, I think $140,000 is an insult.

Shakes head.

BTW USA - 35 million USD
Australia 7 - million USD
Plus a host of other donating countries.

There has been other countries too, even Kuwait has donated $3 million, but what about other muslim nations helping out a brother country, Indonesia - pop 280,000,000?

Sky News now says 58,000 and rising killed.

Regards,

Wes

PS - We have donated $100, and I challenge others to give also.


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## brin11 (28 Dec 2004)

Wes,

The 15 year old handicapped boy you mentioned made me the saddest somehow.  I saw an interview with his parents and they watched him be swept out to sea with him watching them back.  Terrible, imagine watching your kid riding a wave out to their death??


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## 1feral1 (28 Dec 2004)

yes , I know the interview. Must just be terrible. At least this family has some kind of closure, so they have his remains to bury, but the ones lost at sea will have no graves.

Truly a most horrific event.

BTW, our friend in holiday in Sri Lanka is okay and is due to fly back to Sydney on Saturday. It was her first trip there, and I don't think she'll want to go back.

Regards,

Wes


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## FSTO (28 Dec 2004)

On our way home frorm OP APOLLO we went alongside Phuket for some RnR. Our berth was on the otherside of the island, but I wonder what sort of damage 5500 ton destroyer would have suffered from if this had happened while we were there. I'm sure we would have suffered a great deal, if there was no warning.

My heart goes out to all the victims in the Indian Ocean, and it sure puts a different perspective on the news when you remember being in a place that is being destroyed in front of your eyes.


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## Laps (29 Dec 2004)

With the current situation in Asia, I can see a great use of our DART team in the devastated areas.   Anyone in the loop as to why we are not on our way there?   Maybe this is also a good opportunity to explain what is DART???   

I thought we have dropped the ball by not going to Haiti after the recent flood, but 50,000 dead people should be enough to justify the DART's response...

My 2 cents ???


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## ark (29 Dec 2004)

Laps said:
			
		

> With the current situation in Asia, I can see a great use of our DART team in the devastated areas.   Anyone in the loop as to why we are not on our way there?   Maybe this is also a good opportunity to explain what is DART???
> 
> I thought we have dropped the ball by not going to Haiti after the recent flood, but 50,000 dead people should be enough to justify the DART's response...
> 
> My 2 cents ???



I hope this helps...



> OTTAWA (CP) - Although Canada's military keeps an emergency response team on standby to help in international disasters, it isn't "the right tool" to help victims of a devastating Asian earthquake and tsunami, federal officials said Tuesday.
> 
> "It seems the DART is not the right tool at this time," Col. Guy Laroche of the Department of National Defence told a Media briefing three days after the crisis hit. Officials were responding to criticisms that the Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team hasn't yet been sent to the region devastated by an earthquake that triggered massive tidal waves on Boxing Day.
> 
> ...



http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2004/12/28/800072-cp.html


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## MJP (29 Dec 2004)

Wesley H. Allen said:
			
		

> I had heard on CNN that France has ONLY donated $140,000 US dollars. :
> 
> Although every dollar is needed, I think $140,000 is an insult.
> 
> Shakes head.





> "The French government has dispatched a plane carrying more than 100 rescue and health staff, as well as a field medical post and six tonnes of drugs and supplies".


 and we're sending....??? oh wait not the DART because it isn't _"the right tool"_.   I'd really hate to see a disaster that is right for the DART to deploy, got to be worse than over 50,000 dead.  


http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/story.jsp?story=596625


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## Joe_McSweeney (29 Dec 2004)

This is a truly horrible incident. It is a shame that our government is busy trying to pass the buck... 

However, could this be an aftershock from the earthquake that happened near Tasmania? (8.1??) http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,11777911%5E662,00.html
And where would a person be able to donate? Has any bank or other institution set up an assistance fund? Or just Red Cross?

I think that even though we are on the otherside of the world we still should be focusing on how to help.

Joe.


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## Sheerin (29 Dec 2004)

I think the main reason we aren't send DART is becuase we have no practical way of getting them there (uninformed opinon).

however I'm thinking that sending DART isn't 100% necessary and in fact would not be a responsible use of money.  Sounds harsh i know, but let me finish.  If we send DART that will help only one part of the affected area.  It would probably cost us at least 20 million, the last mission DART did was in Turkey back in '99 and CBC reported that the total cost was approximately 15 million.  now if we send DART it will most likely be in the field far longer than the Turkey mission therefore it would cost that much more.  
Wouldn't it be more affective to send that 20 or so million in direct aid to the NGOs on the ground and the countries affected. 

Now lets just wait and see if Ottawa ponies up the 20 million....

And if you want to donate you can do it through several NGOs. 
www.redcross.ca
www.msf.ca
www.oxfam.ca 
those are just off the top of my head.


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## Joe_McSweeney (29 Dec 2004)

Not to get into a spitting match, but I just stroked a cheque for 100 bucks too. 

Way to go, Wes.  Sheerin, thank you for the sites for the donations!!!



Its Christmas and what is the right thing to do?

(Sorry to sound "preachy")

Joe.


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## Laps (29 Dec 2004)

For some reasons, I still believe the DART's $20M would still be more beneficiary than if given to NGOs for relief use.  Not to downplay the NGOs work, (far from my intent), but I believe that we, as a military organisation, would be able to get things going much faster.  In this case, time is of the essence.  People don't have food or clean water to drink; corpses are rotting in the street.  

The last experience that I have seen with the Red Cross (once again, I believe they do a terrific job but...) was with the Ice storm in Quebec.  The Red Cross had had Millions upon millions of $ donated for immediate use, and yet, it took months before that money was distributed, if it actually ever got completelly spent for that purpose.

Also, think about the political aspect of things.  Sending a "military" contingent somewhere always give a nice warm feeling to our allies.  In another hand, it also comes down to use it or loose it attitude.  Tax payers might be thinking "what is the point in having this asset if it is never used?".

I understand one of the issues is how the DART would get there.  I heard it was like 26 Herc chalks to bring it all there, and I don't think this is going to happen that way.  That would take an awful long time to bring everything out there.

Anyone member of the DART in the forum?  Can anyone give more details about the DART (unless classified?) as to what / who is part of it.  What is the response time, etc...


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## George Wallace (29 Dec 2004)

You may find some of your answers here:

http://army.ca/forums/threads/24351.0.html

GW


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## McG (29 Dec 2004)

Rusty Old Joint said:
			
		

> According to one of this morning's papers there were (I think) 11 Op ATHENA people on leave in Thailand - probably in Phuket - and three (I think, again) were not yet (last night?) accounted for.


As of this morning, all pers from the task force that were in the affected area have been accounted for & are well.


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## Edward Campbell (29 Dec 2004)

MCG said:
			
		

> As of this morning, all pers from the task force that were in the affected area have been accounted for & are well.



Thanks, MCG, at least a few people have good news ... I'm still having some difficulty coming to grips with the scale of the thing.


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## winchable (29 Dec 2004)

It's good for us at the lower levels to send money, I mean there is very little else we as private citizens can do.
But I think if we look at what countries are sending in terms of Dollars we are missing out, as PBI pointed out the French put little money (can we confirm that Wes?) but sent a load of medical supplies, people etc. to actually do the work.
It's at a point where we (talking on the government level now) could throw money at it and say "look we gave them billions, now lets have a pat on the head." 
Or, send people, supplies, food, materials, medicine instead.
I believe the second to be a much better response to immediate problems such as contamination etc.

So when we see a government sending some insane amount of money at the problem, you have to look a little deeper and see what else they're doing.
I think if we throw money at the disaster the people who need it most, those suffering obviously, will see little of it, and little of it's effects, but what they will see are medical clinics being set up, real medicine and medical workers which their own country can't provide due to the destruction...even if they did get a big cheque.

Perhaps stating the obvious, but I've noticed we're thinking in monetary terms which in developing countries or areas hit by disaster, mean very little.
Can't eat a dollar, and you can't buy food from a store that doesn't exist with it either or purchase medical supplies from an nonexistent place or pay a non-existent doctor to stitch up your leg with it.

Also, good to hear about the Canadians that made it safe, but there still 3(?) dead and 18 un accounted for sadly.


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## 1feral1 (29 Dec 2004)

Rusty Old Joint said:
			
		

> ... I'm still having some difficulty coming to grips with the scale of the thing.



Me too!

Here its just after 0800 on Thu 30 Dec, and the BC is now over 80,000!

Thats 20,000 more than all the Canadians killed in the 4 yrs+ of WW1, almost twice the amount of Canadians killed in WW2, twice as many Australians Killed in WW2, more Americans killed in the entire Viet Nam War, all in a matter of how long it takes to drown! Thats hard to comprehend.

With a population of just 19,000,000 people (that which Canada had in 1970) the Australian government has sent $35 million Aussie dollars, and this may still increase. A total of 5 RAAF C130s ferrying supplies to the region.   

Australian citizens are also donating millions of dollars to organisations assiting in disaster relief.

In Aceh (Indonesia), the waves went as far as 15km inland! 

The ADF will establish a field hospital there.

Regards,


Wes


EDIT: As of 1700K30Dec04 (AEST) the RAN will deploy the HMAS Kanimbla (LPA-51) tomorrow (from Garden Island, Sydney). She'll be enroute to the distaster area. This RAN ship will have onboard personnel, vehicles, eqpt, medical supplies, and rotary winged aircraft to assist in various taskings assigned.


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## redleafjumper (29 Dec 2004)

I must say I am impressed by the response of the US in this disaster.  They have already made an initial commitment of 35 million, and are also forwarding ships and resources to the area, including vessels capable of producing thousands of gallons of clean drinking water.  Canada is still only committing 4 million and our DART team is not being deployed.  Part of the problem with the deployment of such a resource is that it needs to be self-sufficient and Canada does not fund its military sufficiently to deploy forces and support them independent of other countries providing transport and supplies. If we want to play, we'll have to pay. 
The confirmed count is now over 80,000 killed and I would expect that we could see this toll go as high as 200,000.  It is a terrible disaster and should be a lesson to Canada as we look at our own west coast.  With such a major geological event on the Pacific Rim, I would expect that there could well be other major shifts soon, some of them much closer to home.  Our own emergency preparedness for such an event needs to be re-examined, including planning to provide adequate military resources.


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## Sheerin (29 Dec 2004)

As of this afternoon Ottawa is pledging 40 million dollars and we're sending another CC-150 full of supplies.  

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/12/29/dart-tsunami041229.html


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## Edward Campbell (29 Dec 2004)

There is now, according to President Bush, a four nation coordinating team (Australia, India, Japan and the USA).   The twelve member, Canadian inter-departmental _reconnaissance_ team could, probably, do more, better work in Washington than in Bangkok, Colombo or Jakarta.

It appears, from what I heard/read today that India is leading the relief efforts â â€œ taking care of its own and deploying relief/medical people and supplies to harder hit countries.   (Acting like a leading _regional power_ in its own region ...   China, on the other hand, is still trying to figure out what to do â â€œ _Peoples' Daily_ lists what other Asian nations â â€œ including Australia and New Zealand - are doing to help but is silent on Chinese efforts.   The government is, I think, having trouble deciding what to do, with whom to cooperate, etc ... its relations with most of the _victim_ countries are 'cordial' to 'frosty,' there are many disputes over islands and potential undersea oilfields.)


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## Fraser.g (29 Dec 2004)

In the Globe and Mail on line
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20041229.wxtsunami-dart29/BNStory/National/

Critics question Canada's reluctance to dispatch disaster-response unit 


By GLORIA GALLOWAY
From Wednesday's Globe and Mail   E-mail this Article  
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Ottawa â â€ Federal officials say a Canadian disaster-response unit launched with much fanfare in 1996 is not being deployed in the early days of the tsunami crisis because its field hospital and water-purification unit are not the relief tools required at this time.

Critics worry that cuts to the military have made it financially impossible to move the Canadian Forces Disaster Response Team, known as DART, to the areas levelled by the giant waves. It takes 24 lumbering Hercules airplanes to transport it out of the country and cost the government $15-million the last time it was dispatched.

But representatives of the departments of National Defence and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Canadian International Development Agency, said yesterday that finances and logistics are not keeping the unit grounded.

Deploying DART â Å“very much has to be driven by the needs that have been identified in a given crisis situation based on what our partners on the ground are telling us,â ? said Elissa Golberg, a director of humanitarian affairs in the Foreign Affairs Department.

Water purification is the major requirement in regions hardest hit, and Ms. Golberg said Canada has responded by sending water-purification tablets and other components on a plane that left for Sri Lanka yesterday afternoon.

DART, which involves more than 200 military personnel from medics to security officers to field engineers, is not generally used during the first 72 hours of a crisis, she said. It was not sent to Haiti earlier this year when a hurricane killed more than a thousand people and has only been deployed on rare occasions.

â Å“It's more of a medium-term intervention,â ? Ms. Golberg said. â Å“The DART is not off the table. It's an important part of our tool kit. But we need to make sure that it is the kind of tool that is needed to respond to this particular circumstance.â ?

Colonel Guy Laroche acknowledged that there are not enough Hercules available to get DART to a country like Sri Lanka, but said there are other methods of transport that could be used, including commercial aircraft. 

Ms. Golberg added that the government has been discussing ways to better mobilize the operation, including breaking it up so that, for example, the water-purification unit could be deployed on its own.

Ministerial officials denied that Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew and International Development Minister Aileen Carroll being out of the country for holidays has affected Canada's response. Both ministers have been in regular contact with their departments and officials overseas even if they have not been available to talk with the media, they said.

A spokeswoman for Defence Minister Bill Graham said DART would not be used without a request from one of the countries hit by the disaster or one of the aid agencies working in the region.

â Å“This is the biggest catastrophe in years,â ? said Isabelle Savard. â Å“On the other hand, we're not just going to put people on the plane without knowing where they are going to go and what they are supposed to do.â ?

But Ted Menzies, the Conservative critic for CIDA, said he was concerned the unit was being kept at home for financial reasons.

â Å“I have to wonder, have we cut our military so badly, does DART even exist any more?â ? he asked. â Å“I hope that they're there because, if we were ever going to put this team into action, now is the time.â ?

He also questioned whether there could be any doubt that a field hospital and a water purification unit would be valuable in areas hit by tsunamis.

â Å“We've seen enough news clips on television to know there is a disaster â â€ probably the largest natural disaster that we have ever seen and hopefully ever will see in our lifetime,â ? Mr. Menzies said. 

â Å“We're going to sit back and wait for a request to come and help? That's ridiculous.â ? 

In fact, Ms. Golberg said, the government of Sri Lanka has said it believes it has enough medical professionals to deal with the crisis and the situation in other countries such as Indonesia has not been fully assessed.

â Å“We never want Canada to be in a situation where it just deploys a tool because we have it. We have to make sure that the kind of things that Canada provides is going to meet the needs of the victims.â ?

So is it Political or are we waiting for the Recce? Of course I would not like to see the DART going into the wrong place but my fear is that they will find any excuse not to deploy the team because we do not have the lift! What a sorry excuse for a 1st world nation we are!

I would like to see both the DART and 1 Can Fd Hosp deployed. Oh wait the later is only equiptment and paper. 
What a perfect time for the PRL to crank up and get the ball rolling. Just MHO.

GF


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## Laps (29 Dec 2004)

Canada increases tsunami aid to $40 million
CTV.ca News Staff

Canada is increasing the amount of money it is sending to the victims of the tsunami disaster in south Asia, *and deploying a team to determine whether the military's crack response team will follow.*"Today we are announcing an increase in our financial contribution to $40 million to provide immediate emergency relief as the situation evolves," Graham told reporters, reading a statement from Prime Minister Paul Martin.

"This includes the $4 million in financial assistance already committed."

In addition, Graham said a planeload of emergency supplies is being flown to Indonesia and Canadian consular staff levels are being increased "where needed... for as long as necessary."

The minister then said a "multidisciplinary reconnaissance team of about a *dozen officials from Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team, the DART*,  Foreign Affairs and CIDA is being sent to the region to make recommendations on additional Canadian assistance, *including the possible deployment of the DART."*Since Sunday's magnitude-9.0 quake sent devastating tsunamis sweeping across south Asia, Ottawa has faced criticism for not immediately deploying the crack mobile medical unit known as DART. 

Answering those critics, Graham told reporters the 200-member DART isn't something that can, or should, be sent on a moment's notice.

"We just can't get to an airport with 200 people and say, 'Here we are,' without knowing where we're going," Graham said in French.

*Therefore, the minister explained, the advance team is being sent to determine where the team is needed, and how best it might be used.*
"This is an issue we look at in terms of whether it's appropriate, whether countries need it and whether or not it's worth moving it," he said.

Col. Guy Laroche of the Department of National Defence told a media briefing that for now, DART isn't needed and hadn't been requested.

"It seems the DART is not the right tool at this time,'' he said.

But Graham said Wednesday the government is still open to the possibility of sending some, if not all of the crack response team.

*"The purpose of the reconnaissance team that is going tomorrow is to look whether perhaps some parts of the DART would be useful in the countries concerned."*

During the briefing's question-and-answer period, the defence minister was also forced to defend the pace of his government's reaction to the disaster.

Although Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew and International Co-operation Minister Aileen Carroll are now cutting short their vacations to return to Ottawa, reporters demanded to know why it's taken them more than three days to do so.

In response, Graham insisted the ministers concerned, as well as holidaying Prime Minister Martin, have been working with their staff.

"This has been going on, and the ministers involved have been in touch with their departments," he said, adding,"But now they've decided to be sur place and I think that's a good decision on their part."

Graham's announcement is just the lastest in a growing number of pledges to the disaster-stricken region, where the number of dead is feared to exceed 100,000.


-

Seems like our governement as not forgotten the DART's presence...


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## 1feral1 (30 Dec 2004)

Aussies are digging deep, the Australian Rd Cross alone (there are many more agencies for disaster relief here) has raised over $14,000,000.00AUD for this disaster. Try www.redcross.org.au and see whats happening from this end.

If you read this, why not donate yourself to a fund of your choice.

Regards,

Wes


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## Whiskey_Dan (30 Dec 2004)

I hope Canada does more, though we matched the US in financial contributions, I believe we could do much, much more.
On Monday me and my dad are flying to Vietnam/Thailand to bring over about 4 tonnes of supplies being donated by the Vietnamese-Canadian community in Vancouver. 
If one cultural-community can pull that off, I believe the government should be able to do more. And a thumbs up to B.C. for providing an extra $8million to the Canadian Red Cross for the disaster relief in south Asia. 
As of 1am PST, the number of dead in the disaster zone has neared 80,000 and still rising.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104324207445_7/?hub=TopStories link also gives individual countries hit hard by the tsunami.


Dan


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## bossi (30 Dec 2004)

Che said:
			
		

> It's good for us at the lower levels to send money, I mean there is very little else we as private citizens can do.
> ...
> Or, send people, supplies, food, materials, medicine instead.
> I believe the second to be a much better response to immediate problems such as contamination etc.



From the perspective of working in civilian emergency management, "convergence" is one of the problems after any incident - people rush to the scene, trying to help, but often only get in the way.

To use a military analogy:  If a neighbouring defensive position is under attack, rushing to their location isn't always the best way to help them.  Sometimes it's better to help them by taking the pressure off by outflanking the attackers (okay, the waves have come and gone, but now the threat is disease), or simply by sending more ammo to the force in place (or in this case relief supplies, or money to buy relief supplies closer to home rather than WASTING money shipping it from the other side of the world ...).

As Che also pointed out, "you send what you can" (i.e. the French sending "stuff", becasue they can ... whereas we can't - we simply don't have the strategic airlift ... unless we charter ... or commandeer ... hmmm ... )

This is a huge disaster - responding to it in the same way we'd respond to a multi-vehicle highway accident simply won't cut the mustard ... this has to be a deliberate campaign, vice a hasty attack.


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## JBP (30 Dec 2004)

If you folks want to see some pictures, not of bodies or anything, just of the shockwave, click here... 

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104337219557_27

A Canadian Pilot who took several photographs of mostly Male (small island country) and other islands when the shockwaves were hitting etc..


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## leopard11 (30 Dec 2004)

Death toll has been raised to 114,000 dead confirmed.   Also there was a 5.7 Aftershock, causing tsunami warning alarms to go off,  no more then small waves washed up on shore.

Ontario donated 5million$ from its own pocket ontop of Canadas 40million$ now.

full story can be found here: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104413335904_41/?hub=TopStories


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## Matt_Fisher (30 Dec 2004)

As some have pointed out that donating money individually to NGOs may be the most effective method of helping those people, here's a list of some NGO's that are assisting the tsunami victims:

I found this story on CTVs website

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104255862681_99665062
Choosing how to send aid to south Asia
CTV.ca News Staff

Though Canadians may be compelled to give generously to the south Asian tsunami relief effort, some have concerns the money might not get to the right place. 

"We want people to people to be comfortable," says Tanya Elliott of the Canadian Red Cross. "We don't people to hold back because of these concerns."

So how do you know the agency you're giving money to is legitimate? There are a few guidelines to follow, according to Elliott: 

ensure you're giving to a registered Canadian charity 
get a tax receipt 
do some research 
The fastest, easiest way to check if a group is registered is to look on the Canada Revenue Agency website

There are about 1,800 charities registered in Canada. Some are large, some are small, and it requires research to see what each group's focus is. 

For instance, World Accord is a small international development agency based in Waterloo, Ont. With existing partners in India and Sri Lanka, it is now working to send aid overseas. 

"Our administration fees are much lower than some groups, because we partner with local organizations," says World Accord's Sandy Heathers. "To pay a Canadian to be in another country costs much more than to pay a salary for a local person to do the work."

Each group has its own way of operating, but Elliott says contributing online is the "quickest, most efficient, cost-effective way to donate. We can issue an instant tax receipt and there are fewer hands involved."

For those worried their money will go toward a charity's overhead, Elliott says the Red Cross channels its funds directly to its people on the ground. 

"We know it's being used to purchase supplies and provide the help that's needed in the affected regions," she says. 

Elliott said no matter which charity you decide on, money is the best way to give. Sending goods is "very costly, and almost impossible in terms of distribution."

She says financial donations are used in "direct financial transactions" where the charity's agents "purchase supplies that are culturally appropriate and are meeting the need at that particular time."

Elliott says it's difficult to convey to Canadians exactly how their money will be spent right now. "It's difficult in the early stages of a disaster," she says. "They're focused on immediate relief. That's the focus."

Canadian non-governmental organizations:

Canadian Red Cross 1-800-418-1111 
CARE Canada 1-800-267-5232 
UNICEF Canada 1-877-955-3111 
Oxfam Canada 1-800-466-9326 
Doctors Without Borders 1-800-982-7903 or 416-964-0619

Faith and community groups

Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace 1-888-664-3387 
Canadian Tamil Congress 1-416-751-8777 
Canadian Relief Organization for Peace in Sri Lanka 1-416-429-2822 
Christian Children's Fund of Canada at 1-800-263-5437 
UJA Federation of Greater Toronto at 416-631-5705 
Salvation Army Canada 1-800-725-2769 
World Accord 519-747-2215 locally or 800-525-3545 
World Vision 1-800-268-5528


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## Art Johnson (30 Dec 2004)

From today's National Post:

http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=2c6af6fe-2e33-4c51-a049-0f0302db2f73

Editorial comment from the Dileas Network:

Brian

You made the front page in todays National Post in their coverage of the Asian tragedy. It is sorry to note that the Embassy staff gets a D minus in its initial reaction to this catastrophic tragedy. News from survivors tell us that the staff reacted like a deer caught in the headlights of an auto. They froze. They were apparently unaware of what had happened.  It was a Christmas holiday and no one in Canada could be reached to get directions, so the Embassy staff treated survivors as transients and told them it would take 10 days to get new documents and were charging them for service. No command decisions could be made locally.. The survivors had no money and only the clothes on their back so they had to wait hours in the Embassy for action to be taken. This seems to be the norm for our Quebec trained personnel. Dither as long as you can and then issue a statement saying all is OK. The people affected report they were ashamed to be Canadian.  It is sad.

Doug


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## Acorn (31 Dec 2004)

"...Quebec trained personnel."?? What does that mean? 

Not sure who "Doug" is, but his comments should probably not have been posted that way (unless he allowed you to do so). 

Acorn


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## Edward Campbell (31 Dec 2004)

Rusty Old Joint said:
			
		

> There is now, according to President Bush, a four nation coordinating team (Australia, India, Japan and the USA).   The twelve member, Canadian inter-departmental _reconnaissance_ team could, probably, do more, better work in Washington than in Bangkok, Colombo or Jakarta.
> 
> It appears, from what I heard/read today that India is leading the relief efforts â â€œ taking care of its own and deploying relief/medical people and supplies to harder hit countries.   (Acting like a leading _regional power_ in its own region ...   China, on the other hand, is still trying to figure out what to do â â€œ _Peoples' Daily_ lists what other Asian nations â â€œ including Australia and New Zealand - are doing to help but is silent on Chinese efforts.   The government is, I think, having trouble deciding what to do, with whom to cooperate, etc ... its relations with most of the _victim_ countries are 'cordial' to 'frosty,' there are many disputes over islands and potential undersea oilfields.)



China has, now, moved quickly and dramatically.   According to this morning's news they have jumped to (very near) the top of the donor list, above the USA â â€œ many tens of millions of dollars, hundreds of people and thousands of tons of supplies to Indonesia.

Australian and Singaporean warships with medical and engineer people are in the area, now.   This is over and above airlifts from both countries and from New Zealand and Pakistan which are, apparently, running a coordinated 'air bridge' from a staging/distribution centre in Singapore.   India is reported to have said it does not need any foreign help â â€œ that should be directed to other, harder hit countries.

One Canadian Airbus has arrived, with supplies; another is enroute â â€œ with people, a recce party (and a public affairs team too?).


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## Art Johnson (31 Dec 2004)

More about dithering from today's Toronto Sun:

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/Editorial/home.html

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Peter_Worthington/2004/12/31/802545.html


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## George Wallace (31 Dec 2004)

Acorn said:
			
		

> "...Quebec trained personnel."?? What does that mean?
> 
> Not sure who "Doug" is, but his comments should probably not have been posted that way (unless he allowed you to do so).
> 
> Acorn



I would say it is a reference to where we are now sending our Foreign Affairs Pers for training for foreign postings.  Many Federal institutions train in Quebec besides the CF (St Jean).  

GW


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## leopard11 (31 Dec 2004)

brief updates:

Death Toll 
Now at 120,000 people.
Indonesia has reported its death toll could reach 100,000 alone. it Currently has 80,000.

Monetary Aid
-Onario pledged 5mil$, 
-Alberta 5mil$, 
-British Columbia, 8mil$,
-Canada has offered 40mil$ on its own and a Dollar for Dollar Pledge where the country will match every dollar donated by canadian citizens to select organizations such as the red cross
-The worlds richest nations have so far pledged 250million US$
-The world bank pledged 250million US$ on Thursday


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## Acorn (31 Dec 2004)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> I would say it is a reference to where we are now sending our Foreign Affairs Pers for training for foreign postings.   Many Federal institutions train in Quebec besides the CF (St Jean).
> 
> GW



Well, the Canadian Foreign Service Institute is in Hull, so technically correct. However, what that has to do with the alleged poor performance of diplomatic pers in Bankok escapes me. 

I could ramble on about my own perceptions of the deficiencies in the Foreign Service, particularly in HR management and leadership. I won't do so here though.

Acorn


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## Art Johnson (31 Dec 2004)

It has more to do with the micro-management style that the PMs from Quebec have instituted in the Public Service starting with Trudeau. With the exception of Lew McKenzie when was the last time you heared of a Public Servant making an important Field Decision without consulting the PMO?


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## Cloud Cover (31 Dec 2004)

Wesley H. Allen said:
			
		

> Wes
> 
> PS - We have donated $100, and I challenge others to give also.



Seen. 
Done.
Next?


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## 1feral1 (31 Dec 2004)

Good on ya mate. Anyone else up to the challenge?


Regards,

Wes


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## Acorn (1 Jan 2005)

A soon as we get back to Canada from leave my wife and I will be donating at least $100 for aid, probably to the Red Cross. 

As to the Quebec thing Art mentioned, I don't think the systemic problems with FAC and the foreign service have anything to do with Quebec, or the fact that the last few PMs were from Quebec. In fact, I KNOW, Quebec has nothing to do with it. Anyway, I'm a bit too full of New Year Cheer (despite the state of the world) to argue it coherently.

How can I wish a happy New Year in such a horrible time?

Acorn


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## Sheerin (1 Jan 2005)

I donated $250 to MSF a few days ago...


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## SHELLDRAKE!! (1 Jan 2005)

Considering the original commitment of IIRC one million dollars to tsunami relief from the federal government, does it seem to anyone else that the government is merely increasing relief funds (and the deployment of dart) based on what appears to apease the public and not on what is a reasonable amount?As a wealthy country which can commit funds to make a life saving difference IMHO the government should be leading the way in aid and not playing catch up.


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## Sandbag (1 Jan 2005)

From someone in Asia, many thanks to those who have donated.   Keep up the forum and discussion, any help in the disaster area is needed.   All countries have been affected. Thanks again


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## Tpr.Orange (2 Jan 2005)

well I just got back from my "vacation" in aruba. Ive been trying to keep an eye on the news as best as possible but there has been very little mention over there about Canadas contribution... Its good to see everyones keeping on top of this. Im going to pledge right after posting.....
Thanks for the updates peeps


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## McG (3 Jan 2005)

> *Canada doubles tsunami aid to $80-million*
> By DANIEL LEBLANC
> From Monday's Globe and Mail
> 03 Jan 05
> ...


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050102.wxtsuaid0103/BNStory/National/


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## bossi (3 Jan 2005)

Here's a graphic example of "convergence" (when, in the wake of a disaster or emergency, people converge on the site).  Similar to certain "other" operations, one remedy is to create an inner and outer perimetre around the site (however in this instance it's impossible).  When it's "only" a fire, crime or traffic accident here in Canada, it'll include "gawkers"/rubber-neckers who only want to look, well-meaning but often untrained/unskilled volunteers, relatives, etc. - they can get in the way of rescue workers/investigators, and even create new dangers or problems as illustrated by this article:

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7219985

*Thais Order Kin of Foreigners Away from Morgues*
Mon Jan 3, 2005 02:07 AM ET 

By Darren Schuettler
PHUKET, Thailand (Reuters) - Thai police on Monday ordered families and friends of foreigners to stay away from tsunami-hit areas, including Buddhist temples turned temporary morgues where they have searched for missing loved ones.

Police said the move was necessary to allow hundreds of forensic experts to get on with the job of identifying bodies of thousands of Thais and foreigners through DNA samples.

"Friends and family members must refrain from visiting the tsunami-affected locations, temples, mosques, all operational grounds, including DNA gathering sites and autopsy sites," Police Lieutenant Tuaytup Dwibyunsin said in a statement.

"We appreciate your assistance very much, but we have to get organized," he said. "We don't want you risking your lives."

Hundreds of foreigners have scoured temporary morgues in the past eight days, searching for family and friends either dead or missing after the killer waves slammed into Thailand's Andaman Sea coast and islands.

Thailand's national disaster center said 5,046 bodies -- 2,459 of them foreigners -- had been recovered from smashed luxury hotels and fishing villages, a popular destination for sun-starved foreigners during the cold northern European winter.

Nearly 4,000 people are still missing -- a number which dropped from about 6,500 after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the list was being reviewed -- including more than 1,600 foreigners, many of them Scandinavians.

While respecting their grief, Tuaytup said the order was necessary to "prevent tampering of evidence and obstructing official gathering of DNA information."

It was addressed to "friends, family members searching for loved ones, foreigners, foreign volunteers and members of the press" and aimed at protecting them from potential disease.

Foreign volunteers must register with the authorities and needed permission to enter restricted areas, it said.

TASK FORCE

The clampdown comes a day after a 19-nation forensic task force was announced to oversee the grisly work of identifying bodies -- mainly through dental records and DNA testing -- which will take many months to complete.

Some bodies may never be recovered or identified, task force leaders said. They said the corpses -- badly decomposed after more than a week in the tropical sun -- were now beyond recognition and families and friends should go home.

Search teams zeroed in on the hardest hit areas on Monday, and Thai and Japanese navy ships scoured the seas for more dead.

Rescue teams expected to finish clearing bodies from Phi Phi island, made famous in the 2000 film "The Beach," after pulling out 50-60 rotting corpses on Sunday, Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula told reporters.

Thaksin, eager to rebuild a key part of Thailand's lucrative tourist trade quickly, was to tour Phi Phi later on Monday.

Bhokin said the main search effort continued in Phang Nga province, where thousands of foreign tourists and Thai villagers were swept away from the area around Khao Lak beach by giant waves eight days ago.

"We should clear them from Phi Phi on Monday. Phuket and Krabi have finished and the only work that remains is in Phang Nga," he said, referring to the island of Phuket, one of Asia's premier beach resorts, and the mainland province of Krabi.

"After this, our work will focus on reconstruction," said Bhokin, who hopes to finish the recovery phase of the operation by Jan. 7.

SWEDEN REELING

Sweden, reeling from a disaster that may have claimed 1,000 Swedish lives, pushed for another search of the Andaman Sea coastline by Thai and Japanese navy vessels, Bhokin said. About 70-80 bodies have been scooped out of the water near the Similan Islands off Phang Nga, a naval officer said.

Elephants have also joined the search for bodies in Khao Lak, heading into debris-strewn forests with rescue teams to retrieve corpses where heavy earth-moving equipment cannot go.

"The elephant is like a four-wheel drive. They walk in the forest all their life," said elephant trainer Laitonglian Meepan.

Investment bank JP Morgan said in a research note that the tsunamis had dealt a "hammer blow" to portions of the region's tourist industry.

"Thailand is the severest casualty as some of its prime tourist areas have been devastated by the tsunamis," it said. (Additional reporting by Crispian Balmer and Viparat Jantraprap)


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## Sandbag (3 Jan 2005)

Of interest, the Aussies have just successfully placed Water Purifier in Banda Aceh; source CNN Asia.  Death toll now exceeds 156K with Sri Lanka second hardest hit.  Thai PM thaksin Shinawatlar is purported to be declining Intl Fin Aid but is thanking the Intl community for support.  Apparently the ability to move by helicopter is more desirable, it will be interesting to see what our DART recce asks for and what can be provided.


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## leopard11 (11 Jan 2005)

Canada just upped its donation to 425 million dollars:


> $265 million in immediate, emergency aid; and
> $160 million over five years for long-term reconstruction through CIDA (the Canadian International Development Agency).
> 
> The $265-million figure also includes:
> ...



http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1105377553705_100786753/?hub=TopStories


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## militarygirl88 (11 Jan 2005)

The death toll is now over 150,000 people  :'(
RIP
I send my condolences to all the families hit by the crisis

militarygirl88


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