Blair announces £25 million more in immediate tsunami aid
Britain will commit an extra £25 million in aid to the tsunami hit countries, Prime Minister Tony Blair has told the Commons.
He added that alongside the £75 million in direct aid, the UK’s total contribution is now standing at around £200 million when other gestures like the commitment to air lift equipment bought with the public’s donations and gift aid are taken into account.
In a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon, the Prime Minister also said that the total number of confirmed British deaths has risen to 51. In total, the Government estimates that 453 Britons will have died in the disaster.
The Prime Minister told MPs that there would be a memorial service for the victims held later in the year.
Mr Blair said that he wished to pay tribute to the British public who have reacted with “remarkable but typical generosity” to the appeal, saying this was the “best illustration of the British character”.
The key challenge, he said, was now ensuring that the aid was effectively distributed, as he stressed that none of the money pledged by the Government had been taken from existing development budgets.
Mr Blair also said that “urgent work” is needed on a global early warning system for such natural disasters. He added that in the UK the Chief Scientific Officer is putting together a group of experts to advise the Government on natural disasters.
Mr Blair reiterated his determination to ensure that Africa is not forgotten as the world focuses on the disaster and said there could be “no greater good” than if the same sentiments that have been displayed in response to the tsunami disaster turn into action in Africa.
