World Offers Aid As A Thank-You

Some Of Poorest Nations Offer Help And Expertise To The U.S.

(CBS/AP)  Some of the world's poorest nations — Bangladesh, Afghanistan and tsunami-hit Thailand — have offered the United States aid and expertise to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

While some of these aid pledges were small compared with the millions of dollars and heavy machinery promised by Europe, they come from nations with far less to give and are symbolic recognition of the role U.S. aid has played in their development.

The State Department says it has now received offers of assistance from 94 countries and international organizations, reports CBS News Correspondent Charles Wolfson.

Among the most recent international aid to arrive were three flights of military ready-to-eat meals from Germany, plus a planeload meals and medical supplies from Italy.

Japan doubled its emergency aid to the U.S. Tuesday, to $1 million total.

In addition, The Maldives ($25,000), Albania ($300,000), Ireland ($1 million) and Yemen ($100,000) are pledging funds to the Red Cross, and the Czech Republic plans to send relief supplies and medical teams.

Israeli aid organizations and charities were raising money for hurricane victims, reports CBS News Correspondent Robert Berger.

"This is the time for us to show that we appreciate what the Americans have been doing for Israel and Israelis for so many years," said Nachman Shai, who is heading the project.

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CBS News Correspondent Robert Berger reports Israelis are opening their hearts — and their wallets.

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Israel is the biggest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, so people are happy for the opportunity to help, says Berger. Israelis admit that this aid is modest and symbolic, but they say it comes from the heart.

Several countries were releasing oil from their reserves to help bolster supplies cut off by Hurricane Katrina.

Bangladesh, one of the world's poorest countries, where millions of people live on a monsoon- and flood-prone delta, pledged $1 million to Katrina's victims and offered to send specialist rescuers to inundated areas, the Foreign Ministry said.