New Zealand response to Hurricane Katrina
Encyclopedia
On 30 August 2005 NZST
(29 August UTC-6/-5
) Prime Minister
Helen Clark
sent condolences by phone and in a letter with an offer of help to United States President George W. Bush
and Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff
also sent a message of sympathy to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
. This offer included an official pledge by the New Zealand Government to the Red Cross of $2 million for aid and disaster relief.
After the New Zealand
government's initial pledge of money, they offered further contributions to the recovery effort including Urban Search and Rescue Teams, a Disaster Victim Identification team and post disaster recovery personnel. Those offers were gratefully received by the United States. A senior member of the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, John Titmus went to Denton, Texas
to lead an official UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to assess the damage from Hurricane Katrina
. The US Embassy in Wellington
said it deeply appreciated the $2 million donation and gratefully acknowledged the offer of disaster management personnel.
.
Time in New Zealand
New Zealand has two time zones. The main islands use New Zealand Standard Time , 12 hours in advance of Coordinated Universal Time , while the outlying Chatham Islands use Chatham Standard Time , 12 hours 45 minutes in advance of UTC.During summer daylight saving time is observed and clocks are...
(29 August UTC-6/-5
Central time
Central time can refer to:*North American Central Time Zone*Central European Time*Central Standard Time Australia...
) Prime Minister
Prime Minister of New Zealand
The Prime Minister of New Zealand is New Zealand's head of government consequent on being the leader of the party or coalition with majority support in the Parliament of New Zealand...
Helen Clark
Helen Clark
Helen Elizabeth Clark, ONZ is a New Zealand political figure who was the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand for three consecutive terms from 1999 to 2008...
sent condolences by phone and in a letter with an offer of help to United States President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff
Phil Goff
Philip Bruce Goff is the current Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party. During the Fifth Labour Government, he served in a number of ministerial portfolios, including Minister of Defence of New Zealand, Minister of Corrections, Minister of Foreign Affairs and...
also sent a message of sympathy to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
. This offer included an official pledge by the New Zealand Government to the Red Cross of $2 million for aid and disaster relief.
After the New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
government's initial pledge of money, they offered further contributions to the recovery effort including Urban Search and Rescue Teams, a Disaster Victim Identification team and post disaster recovery personnel. Those offers were gratefully received by the United States. A senior member of the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, John Titmus went to Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
to lead an official UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team to assess the damage from Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. The US Embassy in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
said it deeply appreciated the $2 million donation and gratefully acknowledged the offer of disaster management personnel.
New Zealand victims of Katrina
After Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, four New Zealanders who were in New Orleans at the time were reported missing nine days after the event. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) sent details of the missing persons to authorities in the United States with some reportedly being sent to the SuperdomeLouisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
.
External links
- New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade – Official Site
- New Zealand Government – Official Site
- New Zealand Herald
- Scoop – Independent News