# Is the US getting international aid for Katrina **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 4, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977 "2005-09-04T02:33:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977/1 "2005-09-04T02:33:36Z")
Are any international organizations or charities going to the disaster areas or are they all domestic? ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977/2 "2005-09-04T02:39:17Z")
Fidel Castro has offered to send doctors and medical equipment. [http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/03/katrina.castro/](http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/03/katrina.castro/) ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977/3 "2005-09-04T02:41:13Z")
Yeah I just read an article saying 50 nations have offered aid. That is nice to see. A part of me hopes Iran sends aid, just as a sign of goodwill since we helped them out with their earthquake. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977/4 "2005-09-04T02:43:47Z")
Yes. > **[Foreign countries pledge aid in the wake of Katrina.](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=333188)** > > \[The State Department said offers of help had been received from: Australia, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Belgium, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Germany, Guatemala, Greece,... [http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/03/katrina.world.aid.reut/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/03/katrina.world.aid.reut/index.html) You know, I’m starting to get a little annoyed at these threads…of _course_ other countries and organizations are sending aid, expertise, and equipment. They are human beings, after all. The fantasy is that the US sends aid to everyone and is ignored in its time of need - presumably as a leadup to having an excuse to say ‘screw them’ the next time a disaster strikes elsewhere in the world. Baloney. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977/5 "2005-09-04T02:50:57Z")
Well, I heard a report on NPR (Friday, I think) that at first the U.S. was refusing foreign aid offers, saying we would take care of it ourselves. But then they changed their mind, and started accepting the help. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977/6 "2005-09-04T02:55:06Z")
There was also [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332443) thread on this subject that ended up in MPSIMS, followed by [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=332744) thread in the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977/7 "2005-09-04T03:01:20Z")
Oh, there is also [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=333170) thread in MPSIMS about Canadian navy ships heading for New Orleans. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977/8 "2005-09-04T03:30:45Z")
> [@galen ubal](#): > > You know, I’m starting to get a little annoyed at these threads… Then stop reading them. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-us-getting-international-aid-for-katrina/319977/9 "2005-09-04T03:35:58Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Are any international organizations or charities going to the disaster areas or are they all domestic? The queqtion has been answered about nations. Concerning charities, yes, french charities have opened special accounts to send donations. I’d assume it’s the same in other countries.