Foreign Nations Offer Aid for Katrina Relief, & Some Thoughts

Update See the bottom of this post for a list of foreign countries offering Katrina aid.

Like most people I've seen the devastation on television from Hurricane Katrina. Most heart rending was a man who was very distressed relating how he tried to hold onto his wife's hand during the storm but couldn't keep the grasp and she was swept away. "She's gone" he said repeatedly. It can seem unreal watching events on television. That man made it very real for me.

I've seen a lot of blog posts with better information than I can give on the current situation and ways in which to provide assistance. I've also seen posts questioning whether countries outside of America are offering help. My worldview is one that says a person gives ungrudgingly to those in need. A look through the news today shows that foreign nations are offering assistance for Katrina relief, although the US has not yet taken up the offers and is still considering them.

Reuters reports that UNited Nations Under-Secretary General Egeland has said:

"The United Nations stands ready to help with any kind of disaster expertise that might be required ... in full recognition that the United States is the country in the world that possesses the greatest civilian and military search and rescue and recovery assets themselves," Egeland told Reuters in an interview. He said U.S. officials had thanked the U.N. for its offer, but had not requested any assistance so far.
... State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said earlier on Wednesday 10 to 12 foreign governments have offered general assistance to the United States to deal with the hurricane aftermath but no decision had been made about how these offers might be used."

Latin American news agency Prensa Latina reports that Venuezelan President Chavez (the one Pat Robertson wanted to assassinate) "has offered to send humanitarian aid and oil so that those hardly hit can cope with the crisis".

Rebecca Writes has a roundup of links and views on Katrina. Also noteworthy: An extremely good post from Life in the Slow Lane on the Mennonite Disaster Service who are involved in the relief, from some-one who has worked for them. I read the other day, "life is what happens instead of your plans". My sympathies and prayers are for those affected. I hope this will be an opportunity to cross international boundaries and express practical help and love for those who are bereft and homeless. The Good Samaritan was not supposed to help the man on the roadside...

List of foreign governments offering aid: See this post.