$20m for tsunami appeal new high for Red Cross

Douglas Clark, a Red Cross director from New Zealand, updating the Sri Lankan death toll from the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.

The amount of money raised for the Southeast Asia tsunami disaster appeal is the largest yet generated by the New Zealand Red Cross.

The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami took more than 230,000 lives and demolished vast tracts of coastline along the Indian Ocean rim.

New Zealand Red Cross national president Penny Mason said yesterday that the organisation had over the past 2 1/2 years helped the transfer of more than $20 million to the relief and reconstruction process.

It will make its final financial contribution to the tsunami's international Red Cross appeal this month with a payment of $6.8 million.

Ms Mason said donations from New Zealanders had made a real difference to the lives of those affected by the disaster.

As well as public donations, the Government has also made a financial contribution to the appeal.

Funds have been released incrementally since the tsunami at the request of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent in order to better manage longer term reconstruction projects and programmes, she said.

Every dollar generated by New Zealand Red Cross for the appeal had been spent on reconstruction and recovery projects in tsunami-affected areas with no administration costs deducted.

New Zealand Red Cross had also sent and supported 25 specialised New Zealand aid workers in tsunami-affected areas.

Ms Mason said the organisation had retained $2 million earned from interest on the appeal's total funds and would use that to fund further aid workers in areas affected by the tsunami.

- NZPA