FP Original: Most tsunami aid still not delivered

Posted By Elizabeth Glassanos Thursday, December 21, 2006 - 2:30 PM Share

It's a sadly typical story: Nearly 2 years after the Asian tsunami struck, aid to countries like Sri Lanka is being handicapped by undelivered funds. The numbers are more shocking than usual, however:

Only 30 to 35 percent of the affected population has been put back into permanent housing.
Only half of the 6.7 billion pledged by the U.N. Department for Aid and Development has been spent.
Only 8,000 of the 50,000 permanent houses that the Red Cross promised to build in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have been completed.
A whopping 16 houses have been completed by the British Red Cross, of the 2,000 planned. Three hundred are near completion.

Pledges by countries are falling far below the mark:

According to a U.N. database, Spain promised $60m and delivered less than $1m, while France pledged $79m and came up with just over $1m.
Kuwait pledged $10m to the Maldives, but has yet to contribute a penny.
The United States promised over $400m in aid to Indonesia, but has delivered less than $70m.
Perhaps most disappointing of all is China, which pledged $301m and delivered only $1m.

Editor's Note: Elizabeth Glassanos is an accomplished illustrator and member of the FP production team. She will be contributing original artwork to the blog on an ongoing basis.

EXPLORE:FP ORIGINALS, SOUTHEAST ASIA, DISASTERS, FOREIGN AID

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