BANGKOK, 15 January 2010 (NNT) - The 20,000 USD grant-in-aid the Thai government has given to Haiti after the quake is only the first portion of assistance, says Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs, Suthep Thaugsuban.
Reacting to criticism that the amount of money was too little, the Deputy PM rebutted that it was only initial assistance. He said the prime minister has been monitoring the situation and assigned the Foreign Ministry to consider how the government could provide additional support both in cash and personnel which includes sending medical teams to help rehabilitating Haitians' living conditions. Further assistance will be discussed by the government, Mr Suthep said.
The Deputy Prime Minister remarked that the distance between the two countries has made the delivery of assistance rather difficult. Any assistance to Haiti would not be as fast as that provided to neighboring ASEAN at the time of the tsunami attack.
News ID: 255301150030
Reporter : Rungkarn Rujiwarangkul