Finland Grants an Additional 2 Million Euros in Aid for Victims of the Asian Tsunami Catastrophe
Press Release 302/2004
29 December 2004
The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has today granted an additional 2 million euros in aid for victims of the tsunami catastrophe. The assistance is being channelled through the World Food Programme (WFP; 1 million euros), Unicef (500,000 euros) and the World Health Organization (WHO; 500,000 euros). The funds are used to provide food assistance for those who lost their homes and medical relief for victims, to prevent the spread of epidemics and to help women and children.
The number of people known to have died in the Southeast Asian tsunami catastrophe grows by the hour, and the massive extent of material destruction becomes ever clearer as more precise information arrives from the disaster area. This is one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. The number of dead already exceeds 60,000; many times more people were injured and estimates put the number made homeless by the disaster at over 2 million. International relief efforts are underway, the departure point being to get help to everyone in need of it.
The WFP helps feed the homeless in all countries subjected to the catastrophe by supplying foodstuffs to those in need. Unicef provides medications, housing and water purification supplies, and is already prepared both to work in the disaster area for a longer period and to participate in reconstruction. WHO, too, supplies medications and pays special attention to preventing the spread of epidemics. WHO fear that epidemics may cause as many deaths as the tsunami catastrophe itself unless help is got to the disaster area fast enough and comprehensively.
On Monday 27 December the Ministry for Foreign Affairs granted 500,000 euros to the Finnish Red Cross; this was used, among other things, to send a 50-bed field health clinic to Sri Lanka.
Additional information: Lars Backström, Head of Unit, Unit for Humanitarian Assistance, Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 160 56225.