Thanks, But No Thanks
You'd think that in tragic times one would be willing to put his/her differences aside. Think again:
Castro, a longtime adversary of the United States, initially offered to send 1,100 doctors and at least 26 tons of supplies and equipment, but the Communist leader announced Sunday during a televised speech that he had increased the number of physicians to 1,586. Each doctor would carry about 27 pounds of medicine...
Besides Cuba, several other countries and international agencies have offered money and supplies to the hurricane victims.
In the past, Cuba has refused U.S. offers of aid, the most recent following Hurricane Dennis. That storm killed more than 10 people in the Caribbean island nation in July.
At that time, Castro said he would not accept help from Washington because of the U.S. trade embargo against his country. The United States has no diplomatic relations with Cuba.
(Via CNN)
Two days into the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe in New Orleans Canada already offered aid to the US. The American government waited before giving our federal government the go-ahead. Now not only has an aid package been accepted, but Canadian universities are also stepping up:
In addition to the University of Ottawa, McGill University and the University of Windsor have offered to accept displaced students. The schools have also agreed to work with federal immigration authorities to help fast-track applications that allow U.S. students to study in Canada.
The Association of American Universities has issued a request for Canadian universities to take in some of the 100,000 students affected by the hurricane disaster in Louisiana.
Thousands of students affected by Katrina have been forced to revise their fall semester plans, and many have been inquiring about taking classes elsewhere.
Dozens of universities and colleges across the United States have offered to help students find spaces, while others, such as the University of Arkansas, are offering free or reduced tuition. The U.S. Education Department has also pledged to relax student-loan guidelines to help students who transfer to other schools.
(Via Ottawa Citizen)
