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Fri 2 Sep 2005 10:50 AM ET
STOCKHOLM, Sept 2 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the world on Friday to show the same generosity to the United States in helping it recover from Hurricane Katrina as Americans demonstrated in crises like the Asian tsunami.
"The Americans are usually very generous in assisting in other crises," Anna told reporters in Sweden.
"Now they have had this serious blow and I think we should try and help President (George W.) Bush and the administration, the American Red Cross and NGOs...who have been our partners in other crises around the world like the tsunami," said Annan.
The U.S. government has received offers of help from around the world after the hurricane devastated New Orleans and other parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast, killing possibly thousands of people.
But many governments and bodies like the European Union say there has not yet been any request for assistance and Bush has said America can take care of itself. Criticism is mounting that his administration was slow to respond and ill-equipped to help.
That is in sharp contrast to Washington's response to the Asian tsunami in December 2004, when the U.S. military played a prominent role and the American government and public gave generously to collections for aid efforts.
Annan said he believed Washington was "positive" to offers of help from the United Nations and others to provide relief.
http://today.reuters.com/News/Crises...ryId=L02605395
STOCKHOLM, Sept 2 (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urged the world on Friday to show the same generosity to the United States in helping it recover from Hurricane Katrina as Americans demonstrated in crises like the Asian tsunami.
"The Americans are usually very generous in assisting in other crises," Anna told reporters in Sweden.
"Now they have had this serious blow and I think we should try and help President (George W.) Bush and the administration, the American Red Cross and NGOs...who have been our partners in other crises around the world like the tsunami," said Annan.
The U.S. government has received offers of help from around the world after the hurricane devastated New Orleans and other parts of the U.S. Gulf Coast, killing possibly thousands of people.
But many governments and bodies like the European Union say there has not yet been any request for assistance and Bush has said America can take care of itself. Criticism is mounting that his administration was slow to respond and ill-equipped to help.
That is in sharp contrast to Washington's response to the Asian tsunami in December 2004, when the U.S. military played a prominent role and the American government and public gave generously to collections for aid efforts.
Annan said he believed Washington was "positive" to offers of help from the United Nations and others to provide relief.
http://today.reuters.com/News/Crises...ryId=L02605395
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