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World continues to extend aid to quake-hit Japan

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-03-17 22:57

BEIJING/TOKYO -- The international community continues to send aid and assistance to Japan in various ways as the country deals with aftershocks and radiation leaks after a massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

The National Police Agency said that the disaster had so far left 5,692 people dead and 9,506 others unaccounted by 8 p.m. (1100 GMT) Thursday.

Meanwhile, military helicopters were dumping tons of water upon the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant Thursday morning in an attempt to avert a possible nuclear meltdown.

China believes the Japanese people will overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homes after the 9.0-magnitude quake and an ensuing tsunami hit the country on March 11, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.

"At the request of the Japanese government, the Chinese government decided to provide 10,000 tons of gasoline and 10,000 tons of diesel as urgent and gratuitous aid, which have arrived in Japan recently," Jiang Yu said at a regular press briefing.

This was the latest batch of aid the Chinese government has offered to Japan after providing 30 million yuan (US$4.5 million), Jiang added.

Some local governments and non-governmental organizations in China have also extended their condolences and provided different amounts of economic aid, Jiang said.

"China and Japan are neighbors and the two peoples have suffered natural disasters at different times. The consolation and support given mutually between the two governments and peoples shows the spirit of mutual help that two neighboring countries should have," Jiang said.

China also shipped 10 tons of bottled drinking water to Japan's earthquake-hit areas in its latest round of relief donations to the rescue and recovery efforts.

The water, packaged in 800 boxes, was air-lifted from China's northeastern city of Changchun, Jilin Province, to Niigata in northeastern Japan on Thursday before it was taken by road to devastated Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, said Duan Yingli, a foreign affairs official with Jilin provincial government.

The water was provided by the Jilin provincial government and the municipal government of Changchun as requested by the Japanese government, Duan said.

The Chinese government on Monday announced that it would provide 30 million yuan (4.6 million dollars) in emergency humanitarian aid to support disaster relief efforts in Japan. A 15-member rescue team arrived in the country from China on Sunday.

China's first relief package -- 2,000 blankets, 900 cotton tents and 200 emergency lights -- was delivered earlier this week.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday evening called Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, stressing that the United States is determined to "do everything possible" to support Japanese efforts to cope with the devastation.

"The president emphasized that the United States is determined to do everything possible to support Japan in overcoming the effects of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11," the White House said in a statement.

It said Obama briefed Kan on the additional support being provided by the U.S., including "specialized military assets" with expertise in nuclear response and consequence management.

The Singapore Red Cross acquired supplies for about half of the 500,000 Singapore dollars (392,000 dollars) given by the Singapore government as seed funding on Tuesday.

The first batch of supplies, including blankets, mattresses and water bottles, were to have been sent on Thursday morning.

Japanese Ambassador to Singapore Yoichi Suzuki has said people in the affected areas of Japan needed bottled water, mattresses, blankets as well as collapsible water containers.

Meanwhile, many individuals and corporations in Singapore donated money and supplies to the Red Cross and other relief organizations such as World Vision and Mercy Relief.

Elaine Low, a 24-year-old businesswoman whose family runs an Indonesia-based coal mining business, donated one million Singapore dollars (780,000 dollars) to Japan and handed the check to Japanese Ambassador Suzuki.

"My family and I feel that it's an unfortunate disaster and wanted to offer our help," Low said.

South Korea has sent 20 tons of bottled water to the ravaged coastal city of Sendai, along with other emergency relief supplies.

Air Force planes departed on Thursday bound for Japan's Niigata airport, reportedly carrying 20 tons of mineral water, 21 drums of oil and 1,500 units of protective clothing.

South Korea has dispatched a total of 107 rescue workers to Japan to help search and rescue efforts there and says it is ready to send more if requested.

The amount of the government donation to Japan, meanwhile, was expected to rise beyond 12.5 million U.S. dollars, a record high. Private donations also have skyrocketed in recent days.

Indonesia donated 2 million U.S. dollars to help Japan cope with the disasters, the Jakartapost.com quoted a minister as saying.

"The government may donate more aid to Japan later during the construction phase," Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said Wednesday night during a joint press conference with Japanese Deputy Foreign Minister Makiko Kikuta.

Thailand is going to send three C-130 military transport aircraft to deliver supplies and evacuate stranded Thais in Japan on Thursday and Friday.

Gp.Capt. Niwat Intarawichien of the Royal Thai Air Force Medical Services said that the first two aircraft would depart at about 10 p.m. Thursday local time (1500 GMT) and carry supplies, including blankets, canned food, and rice, to Tokyo.