Oman donors send 1,200 tons of aid to tsunami victims

MUSCAT, Jan 5 (AFP) - The Oman Charitable Organisation has sent 1,200 tons of aid to Sri Lanka and the Maldives over the past two days to help victims of the Asian quake and tidal waves.
"Another 12 chartered flights to these two countries are to follow suit," executive director Ali Ibrahim Shanoon al-Raisi told AFP on Wednesday.
He said the organisation is aiming to raise at least three million dollars worth of aid for those stricken in Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia.
Tents, blankets, mattresses, bed sheets and food items including rice, flour and sugar form the bulk of the relief collected since a campaign was launched on Tuesday at the behest of Sultan Qaboos, Raisi said.
The organisation has also formed a relief committee for tsunami victims, which involves the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry to ensure full participation by the private sector in the relief operation.
Special accounts have been opened in banks around the sultanate for donations, Raisi said.
"If we recieve more money than expected, we shall construct small houses in the affected countries, as we have done in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Palestine," he said.

01/05/2005 15:43 GMT - AFP