Japan becomes biggest aid donor with $500 million dollars.
Japan pledged up to $500 million in grant aid for tsunami disaster relief today, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi announced, making the country the largest single donor to victims of the catastrophe.
The Japanese announcement came a day after President Bush increased the U.S. pledge tenfold to $350 million. Tokyo’s promise put Asia’s wealthiest economy at the top of the global donor effort to help countries recover from the disaster that has killed at least 123,000 people from Malaysia to Somalia and has left millions homeless.
This "one upsmanship" in amount of relief aid is a little weird. It’s hard to see the humanity in it now. It looks like a popularity contest. Not that the people in Southeast Asia won’t need every penny of it. I just think it’s becoming a little disingenuous.
It’s possible that Japan was intending to contribute that amount before the US offer of $350 million. Why make it another political issue?
I think it is great that an Asian country (Japan) is stepping up and contributing in such a big way. Who are the other leaders in this area?