    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book I)]
    [January 3, 2005]
    [Pages 2-4]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Mobilizing Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunamis Disaster
    Relief
    January 3, 2005

        I thank you all for coming. I'm honored to be standing here with two
    former Presidents, President Bush 41,
    President Clinton 42. We have come
    together to express our country's sympathy for the victims of a great
    tragedy. We're here to ask our fellow citizens to join in a broad
    humanitarian relief effort.

        Eight days ago, the most powerful earthquake in 40 years shook the
    island of Sumatra. The earthquake caused violent tsunamis in the Indian
    Ocean, which left an arc of destruction from Thailand to the Horn of
    Africa. The devastation in the region defies comprehension. More than
    150,000 lives are estimated to be lost, including 90,000 in Indonesia
    alone. As many as 5 million people are thought to be homeless or without
    food or shelter. Thousands more are missing, and millions are vulnerable
    to disease.

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        Across the United States this week, our flags will fly at half-staff
    to honor the victims of this disaster. We mourn especially the tens of
    thousands of children who are lost. We think of the tens of thousands
    more who will grow up without their parents or their brothers or their
    sisters. We hold in our prayers all the people whose fate is still
    unknown.
        The United States Government is in close contact with the
    governments of the affected countries, and America is playing a leading
    role in the relief and recovery efforts. Our Nation has committed
    military assets and made an initial commitment of $350 million for
    disaster relief. We're working with the United Nations and with
    governments around the world to coordinate the comprehensive
    international response. American military assets in the region are now
    aiding recovery efforts. Patrol and cargo aircraft have been surveying
    damage and delivering supplies for several days. Air Force C-130s are
    flying aid missions 24 hours a day.
        We are grateful for the hard work of the men and women who wear our
    Nation's uniform. The Abraham Lincoln carrier group is in place near
    Indonesia and transporting relief supplies by helicopter. Other naval
    and Marine assets will arrive shortly to generate clean water and
    provide further logistical help.
        I have sent a delegation headed by Secretary of State Powell and Governor Bush of Florida to
    the Indian Ocean region. There they will meet with fellow leaders and
    international organizations to assess relief efforts in place as well as
    the needs that remain. Secretary Powell and Governor Bush will report
    their findings directly to me, so we can ensure that our Government
    provides the most effective assistance possible.
        We're showing the compassion of our Nation in the swift response.
    But the greatest source of America's generosity is not our Government;
    it's the good heart of the American people. In the weeks since the
    tsunami struck, private citizens have contributed millions of dollars
    for disaster relief and reconstruction. Organizations like the Red Cross
    and the Red Crescent, the Salvation Army, Catholic Relief Services, Save
    the Children, CARE, UNICEF, and America Cares responded rapidly after
    the tsunamis hit. They have reported an outpouring of generosity from
    around the world.
        To draw even greater amounts of private donations, I have asked two
    of America's most distinguished private citizens to head a nationwide
    charitable fundraising effort. Both men, both Presidents, know the great
    decency of our people. They bring tremendous leadership experience to
    this role, and they bring good hearts. I am grateful to the former
    Presidents, Clinton and Bush, for taking on this important responsibility and
    for serving our country once again.
        In the coming days, President Clinton
    and Bush will ask Americans to donate
    directly to reliable charities already providing help to tsunami
    victims. Many of these organizations have dispatched experts to the
    disaster area, and they have an indepth understanding of the resources
    required to meet the needs on the ground. In this situation, cash
    donations are most useful, and I've asked the former Presidents to
    solicit contributions both large and small.
        Over the past week, we have seen some of the innovative ways
    Americans are helping people in need. A coffee roaster in California is
    handing out bags of coffee for a $10 donation to the Red Cross. In
    Virginia Beach, the owner of a tax assistance
    firm is making a donation for every tax return he prepares. Worshipers
    at a Buddhist temple in Houston collected thousands of dollars in cash
    to send to their sister temple in Sri Lanka. Some people are selling
    personal items on the Internet and donating the cash to the charities.
    Many corporations are matching contributions by their employees. And
    several have shown exceptional generosity by donating

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    large amounts of cash and products to the relief efforts.
        Presidents Clinton and Bush will be speaking about the countless ways
    individuals and businesses can support this urgent cause. I ask every
    American to contribute as they are able to do so. For more information
    about how to make a donation, you can visit the USA Freedom Corps web
    site at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.
        Americans have suffered sudden catastrophe many times in our own
    history, from massive earthquakes in Anchorage and San Francisco to
    destructive wildfires in the West to the series of hurricanes that
    struck Florida last year. From our own experiences, we know that nothing
    can take away the grief of those affected by tragedy. We also know that
    Americans have a history of rising to meet great humanitarian challenges
    and of providing hope to suffering peoples. As men and women across the
    devastated region begin to rebuild, we offer our sustained compassion
    and our generosity and our assurance that America will be there to help.
        The Presidents and I will be going to the embassies of the countries
    affected to pay our Nation's respects. I'm so grateful that both
    President Bush and President
    Clinton have taken time out of their busy
    schedules to not only serve as a catalyst for people to give money to
    help but also to join me and Laura in paying our
    deepest respects to those nations that have been affected by the
    tsunamis. As well the Presidents will return to the White House compound
    to talk to members of the press about how to better effect this great
    relief effort that is now going on in our Nation.
        Thank you all for coming.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:15 a.m. in the Roosevelt Room at the
    White House. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida.
    The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language
    transcript of these remarks.