US is 'stingy' - NY Times

2004-12-30 22:21

New York - The New York Times said on Thursday that the United States has been stingy in its response to the Asian tsunami disaster and in giving aid in general.

The newspaper highlighted in an editorial that the $15m initially offered by Washington was less than the figure the ruling Republican Party would spend on President George W Bush's inauguration in January.

Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell have given indignant reactions to a comment by UN chief disaster relief co-ordinator Jan Egeland that rich nations have been "stingy" in giving aid to poorer nations.

"We beg to differ," said the New York Times. "Mr Egeland was right on target."

"We hope Secretary of State Colin Powell was privately embarrassed when, two days into a catastrophic disaster that hit 12 of the world's poorer countries and will cost billions of dollars to meliorate, he held a press conference to say that America, the world's richest nation, would contribute $15m.

"That's less than half of what Republicans plan to spend on the Bush inaugural festivities."

The administration has since increased its aid to $35m and is also sending transport planes and navy ships with troops that could take part in the disaster operation. But the Times said the $35m remains "a miserly drop in the bucket".

The newspaper also highlighted the disparity in development aid given by the United States and the European Union. In 2003, the US government gave $16.2bn, while the EU gave $37.1bn. It said that in 2002, the figure was $29.9bn for Europe and $13.2bn for the United States.

- AFP