Public and firms rally with cash for victims

New Zealanders are opening their hearts and wallets to assist aid work following the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Calls by Foreign Minister Phil Goff for the public to concentrate on making cash donations appear to be working with aid agencies reporting overwhelming generosity. Businesses and banks have agreed to accept donations and novel ways are being set up to raise money.

The Sri Lankan cricketers' decision to go back to their disaster-hit homeland has struck a chord with New Zealand Cricket, which is working with World Vision on organising events, including a $1 donation on every ticket sold at a mini one-dayer against Australia on February 17.

The New Zealand Red Cross reported a "phenomenal response" with $1.2 million raised since its South Asia Tsunami Appeal began five days ago. Foodtown, Woolworths and Countdown supermarkets are assisting the Red Cross by asking customers to "donate a dollar", with the amount added to the bill.

International agency Oxfam said $22.5 million of donations had poured in worldwide, including more than $190,000 in New Zealand. Tradeaid, The Body Shop, The Warehouse and ANZ Bank have agreed to accept Oxfam donations.

Aid and relief agency TEAR Fund New Zealand said it had raised more than $200,000 to help with the distribution of food, water, shelter and medical supplies to isolated areas.

The New Zealand Herald and the Herald on Sunday are part of a Tsunami Relief Appeal to support those left grieving and homeless.

The newspapers, part of the Australasian APN Group, have kicked off the appeal with $100,000, of which $50,000 has been donated by APN's publications and radio stations in New Zealand. Donations can be made to the numbers listed or at BP service stations from Monday. The money will go to the Red Cross.

APN New Zealand publishing chief executive Ken Steinke said it was impossible not to be affected by the plight of the huge number of people left grieving and homeless and the company wanted to use its resources to help the public make donations.

Mr Goff said the Government had doubled the limit for the dollar-for-dollar donation subsidy from $2 million to $4 million. "I know that as New Zealanders watch this tragedy unfold for the millions of people affected by it, they will continue to contribute and I hope that the Government's decision will provide further encouragement for that," he said.

So far, the Government has provided $5 million. It gave an immediate grant of $500,000 to the Red Cross, has $4 million set aside to subsidise donations and $500,000 available for other purposes.

A spokesman for Mr Goff said the level of support was under review as the scale of the catastrophe unfolded.

Companies helping the relief effort include Fonterra, which has contributed milk powder to Sri Lanka; UHT, which has given milk to Thailand and nutritional formula for children; and the Pacific Asian Travel Association (PATA), which has set up a fund to rebuild the skills and livelihoods of tourism employees (see link below).

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey said councils would be swinging into action when they re-opened next week to help communities affected by the tsunamis. He would donate $2000 left in his discretionary mayoral fund and match it with a personal donation. He hoped other mayors would follow suit.

Telecom said it would credit customers for the cost of calls to affected regions in Asia from Boxing Day until January 4.

HOW TO GIVE

*APN News and Media:
0900 60010 to give $10
0900 60020 to give $20
0900 60050 to give $50
0900 60080 to give $80
* Red Cross: 0900 31 100 to make $20 donations
* Christian World Service: 0800 74 73 72
* Oxfam: 0800 600 700
* TEAR Fund: 0800 800 777
* World Vision: 0800 80 2000
* Save the Children: 0800 167 168
* Caritas: 0900 411 11 for $20 donations
* Unicef: 0800 243 575
* CCF: 0800 808 822
* Adventist Development & Relief Agency: 0800 4999 111