The Global Community Chips in to Help Japan

The Global Community Chips in to Help Japan

By Caitlin Dickson Mar 15, 2011

The devastating earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan over the weekend have elicited a swift and substantial response from the global community. Numerous governments, businesses, and individuals have stepped up to help find survivors of the disaster and put Japan back together again. We've compiled an overview of just how much aid Japan is receiving from various governments and organizations who have come forward so far.

The United States
The U.S. has already sent the USS Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group, complete with several navy ships, as well as 45 different aircrafts from the Air Force and Special Forces. According to Reuters, $100,000 has already been provided by the U.S. embassy in Tokyo and USAID has about 150 search and rescue workers and 12 dogs searching for survivors among the damage.

The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom initially shipped out "fifty-nine search and rescue experts, four medics and two sniffer dogs on a private charter plane with 11 tons of equipment on board" to Japan the BBC reported on Sunday. Today an additonal 12 volunteers from the International Rescue Corps joined the effort.

China and Taiwan
China's Red Cross Society has pledged $152,000 worth of aid to Japan. According to Taiwan's Taipei Times, the government pledged $300,000 on Friday to aid Japan's recovery from its recent earthquake and tsunami and, on Saturday, upped the amount to over $3 million. Additonally, the paper reports, Taiwan's China Airlines sent "5,100kg of relief supplies, including blankets, sleeping bags, jackets and food rations at Haneda Airport on the same flight that was carrying a 28-member search and rescue team from Taiwan."

Other Countries and International Organizations
According to another Reuters report, 91 countries have offered assistance to Japan, though only 15 of these offers have been accepted based on what Japan really needs. These offers include $50,000 from Afghanistan, 32 Lithuanian search and rescue workers, $1 million and 2,500 woollen blankets from Mongolia, Russian assistance at nuclear plants from the state's nuclear corporation, and 15,000 tons of rice along with $6.58 million worth of "warm clothes, gloves, rubber boots, instant food and other goods" from Thailand, among many others. Additional international organizations such as the "Turkish Red Crescent, Switzerland Humanitarian Aid Response Team, Canadian Medical Assistance Team, Save the Children and Plan Internation," as well as Doctors Without Borders and the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are all providing money or rescue teams to Japan.

Businesses
International governments aren't the only ones contributing to Japan's relief efforts. Several Wall Street investment banks have already made large donations to charities organizing rescue programs. The Wall Street Journal reports that Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Jefferies, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America and American Express have all announced large contributions. Substantial donations range from American Express's pledged $100,000 to Goldman Sach's $6.1 million. In addition to promising $1 million dollars, Jefferies is offering its employees "the opportunity to donate their salaries for one day to earthquake relief efforts."

 (quoted from   http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2011/03/japan-donations/35832/)