Straw insists UK will ‘stay the course’ over tsunami aid
The Government’s commitment to helping the victims of the Asian tsunami will continue even when public and media attention dissipates, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said today.
Some aid agencies are concerned that once daily public attention dissipates, governments from around the world may scale back their commitments. In past disaster situations some countries have failed to actually deliver money publicly pledged.
Speaking at a press conference with the Indonesian foreign minister, Hassan Wirjuda, Mr Straw said that even as the shock created by the disaster subsided, the Government was resolved to do all it can to help.
“This tragedy has brought the whole world together, first in shock and grief, then in an unprecedented spirit of determination to help,” he said.
Noting the need to “stay the course” by continuing support for the tsunami’s victims once the initial shock had died down, he insisted: “I have every confidence we will do so.”
He endorsed UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s call for the immediate delivery of funds to the affected regions, but added: “Money is not enough. The big challenge is to ensure we channel this immediate relief as speedily as possible.”
Speaking at the same press conference, Mr Wirjuda expressed his nation’s “thanks and appreciation” for the sympathy and support of the British people, which he said had been almost “overwhelming”.
However, he warned that the Indonesian government, which has been in place for less than three months, already faced a daunting programme of reducing poverty, creating millions of jobs and eradicating corruption, and was concerned that reconstruction work in areas such as the Aceh province should not “negatively affect” that programme.
Mr Straw also used his speech to “warmly congratulate” newly elected Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. The Palestinian people had shown their commitment to democracy, and the challenge for Mr Abbas was to use his mandate to “lay the foundation” for a future Palestinian state to be created in a final settlement with Israel.
A “great deal” of work remained to get to that stage, but Britain would be in the forefront of the effort to ensure it happened, he said.
