BREAKING NEWS: 5,000 AMERICANS UNACCOUNTED FOR. 2,000 more than 9/11. And lying criminal hypocrite big oil puppet Bush sat on his behind "clearing his brush and riding his bike" while doing nothing for more than a week. What a hypocritical CRIMINAL!!!
U.S. says 5,000 Americans unaccounted for
msnbc.msn.com
By Tamara Kupperman
Producer
NBC News
Updated: 3:27 p.m. ET Jan. 3, 2005WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department, through its embassies and call centers in the United States, has received more than 20,000 inquiries about Americans who may be missing following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Southeast Asia, an official said Monday.
advertisement
While 15,000 of these inquiries have been answered, some 5,000 remain to be dealt with, State Department spokesman Adam Ereli said.
So far, 15 Americans have been confirmed dead after one of the worst natural disasters in history.
But Ereli said the number of citizens unaccounted for remains in the thousands and he urged people with information about missing loved ones to contact the government.
"Please call the call center," he said, so that names can be taken off the rolls for those who have been accounted for and searches can be stepped up for others who may be missing. The State Department’s toll-free number is 1-888-407-4747.
More than 140,000 people died in the tsunami that rocked 12 nations on Dec. 26 and the toll includes thousands of tourists, mostly Europeans, who were vacationing in Thailand.
Ereli said U.S. consular officers are in the field in Thailand and the other affected countries, and more have been sent to help with the increased workload.
In addition to working with local immigration officials to determine Americans who may have come and gone from the country, consular officials are working with local relief officials, hospitals, and other organizations who may have information.
U.S. involvement
As for money for the overall relief effort in the region, Ereli said the United States will be involved for the "long haul."
After coming under criticism in the immediate aftermath for its slow response, the Bush administration has committed $350 million for emergency relief and reconstruction.
In addition, Secretary of State Colin Powell and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush – the president’s brother – are visiting the affected countries to assess on what else can be done, Ereli said.
The American money is going to provide aid that is needed and can be absorbed now, Ereli said.
Quizzed on why only small sums – between $50,000-100,000 – was doled out immediately by ambassadors in some of the stricked countries, Ereli said that "throwing large sums of money is not always what's called for" right away.
He described the U.S. approach as methodical and rational.
Tamara Kupperman covers the State Department for NBC News. |
