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Powell vows more support
09/01/2005 21:49 - (SA)
Washington - US secretary of state Colin Powell said on Sunday the United States must plan to give long-term support to Indian Ocean nations hit by last month's tsunami as they cope with the slow process of recovery.
Powell, who toured the region last week, said he will tell President George W Bush that the United States will need to go beyond the immediate relief sent since the tsunami struck on December 26.
Bush was to get an update from Powell during an Oval Office meeting on Monday morning. The secretary said on ABC's This Week he will advise Bush "that this is a long-term prospect, that we use our money not just for immediate humanitarian relief, but for economic assistance, for infrastructure development".
The United States will assess over time whether to increase its disaster aid beyond the $350-million already pledged, Powell said. "If $350-million isn't enough, I'm sure the president will try to get more into this account," he told CNN's Late Edition.
At least 37 Americans were confirmed or presumed dead in tsunami; there is no clear estimate of missing US citizens.
Powell said Congress must be willing to replenish funds for the disaster relief so that the United States still has enough money to help African nations in the battle against Aids and other humanitarian needs worldwide.
Powell was interviewed from Nairobi, Kenya, where he attended the signing of a peace agreement to end a long-running conflict in Sudan, before he returned to Washington.
- SAPA
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