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U.S. Military Reach Hard-Hit Tsunami Areas of Indonesia and Sri Lanka; Governor Bush Assesses Tsunami Damages; Arab Countries Low on List of Offering Tsunami Aid

Aired January 04, 2005 - 10:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CO-ANCHOR: Here's Daryn and Rick at the CNN Center.
Good morning, guys. How are you?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: It's always a little scary when they toss to you and you see Andy throwing his head back like that.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: What could that be all about?

HEIDI COLLINS, CO-ANCHOR: He always does that.

DARYN KAGAN, CO-ANCHOR: There you go. You guys have a great day in New York City. We have a lot to get to, here. A lot happening even as we're on the air.

SANCHEZ: We certainly do. In fact, here's what's happening right now in the news.

More relief has gone toward tsunami victims in 10 days than went to all global emergencies last year. That from the United Nations. But officials say a logistical nightmare is still keeping the aid from tens of thousands of people.

An al Qaeda linked group has claimed responsibility for today's assassination of the governor of Baghdad. The government opened fire on Ali al Hadri's car today. The attack, the highest profile killing of an Iraqi official in months. Also in Baghdad today, a suicide truck bomb kills 10 people. More on that.

The 109-Congress convenes in two hours. Lawmakers will vote on a resolution expressing support for the tsunami victims. Congress is expected to add to President Bush's 350 million-aid commitment, but it may be a few weeks before a specific package is actually approved.

And a newly surfaced document is raising questions about when Eli Lilly and Company first learned of Prozac concerns. The 1988 document said that people taking Prozac were far more likely to attempt suicide than those taking another anti-depressant. The company's statement says it has always been Lilly's objective to publicize safety data about Prozac.

And hello again, everyone. I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: And I'm Daryn Kagan. Good morning.

U.S. Marines on a mission. The first contingent is now in Sri Lanka, among those turning the tide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. PETER WILSON, U.S. MARINE CORPS: There's a lot of death and destruction here. But I think that the strongest people have already started to rebuild. And watching the news last night in this area, we're talking about trying to rebuild, we saw that on the drive down here. And we just want to help the Sri Lankan government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: By tomorrow, at least 900 Marines will be in Sri Lanka for one of the largest relief missions ever carried out by the U.S. military. They're bringing with them heavy lifting helicopters. A half million pounds of supplies, and maybe most importantly, help for rebuilding roads and paving the way for recovery.

We're going to get the latest now from Sri Lanka, a nation listing the tsunami second highest death toll. Satinder Bindra reports from Colombo's international airport. That is where the first Marines are arriving today -- Satinder.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. relief effort in Sri Lanka is now in top flight. Just a few hours ago, a C-5 touched down here in the capital Colombo. On board, 100 Marines and a lot of water purification, and other reconstruction materials. The U.S. forces will concentrate their efforts in southern Sri Lanka. It's expected a lot of the U.S. equipment would be deployed in about four days from now.

But already just this afternoon, a couple of U.S. helicopters reached the southern city of Galle. Galle, of course, one of the worst affected areas; several thousand people there killed. Several thousand homeless. But U.S. aid reached several very Sri Lankans. They attempted it gleefully.

Now, this U.S. effort will continue to grow over the next few days. More supplies will arrive. Tomorrow morning, Sri Lankan time, another C-5 is scheduled to land in Colombo. Over the next few days, the U.S. relief mission will grow to about 1200 Marines. And this mission will be spread all across this tiny island nation of Sri Lanka.

Satinder Bindra, CNN, Colombo.

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, relief efforts bogged down in the nation suffering the greatest death toll thus far. For several hours, relief planes were unable to land at the only available airport in Banda Aceh in Indonesia, because a Boeing 737 hit a water buffalo. Military organizers say the relief efforts weren't impacted much because the crippled plane was moved quickly enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CAPT. MATT KLUNDER, U.S. NAVY: In conjunction with our Indonesian friends and some other coalition friends here, with literally fork lifts, air bags under the aircraft, and some dollies we brought from the ship. We have moved that 737 off the runway. And this is something our crash and salvage people dream of. And I'm telling you it's a very, very difficult evolution. It's spectacular. We're so proud of everybody here. And actually, we didn't think we'd get it done they'd get done right now. They just moved it off the runway here. So this is really incredible stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: So interestingly enough, while the plane sat on the runway, military helicopters from the United States, Australia and Singapore were still able to continue ferrying supplies.

As you've heard, Secretary of State Colin Powell is in the region today. He's there to try to oversee the relief efforts and try and assess humanitarian needs. He's being accompanied by President Bush's brother, Florida's Governor Jeb Bush, his recent experience in dealing with natural disasters.

Our John King is traveling with Secretary Powell and Governor Bush and this morning he had a chance to talk with the governor about what he's seen in Thailand so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: I'll tell you that the prime minister here said he appreciated the call. The first call that the foreign minister got was from Secretary Powell. The response by the United States military has been impressive. I think that he's done exactly what he should do.

And this needs to be an ongoing thing. Once CNN leaves, and I leave, and others leave, there's going to be a lot of work to be done. And I think basically that's my message to the president would be to make this a long-term effort. Provide the support. And I believe he will.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Do you think your message is going to have to be that it's going to take more than $350 million in U.S. government money over the long run?

BUSH: You know, that's a lot of money. Once you get past a couple of million, for me that starts adding up. So I don't know what the exact number is. But, this is a massive disaster. It's appropriate for the world's most powerful country to respond to it as we're doing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And as you may recall from our extensive coverage here on CNN, Jeb Bush got a mere taste of the widespread destruction this summer, when a Record 4 hurricanes slammed into his straight and caused billions of dollars in damage. KAGAN: More on the relief efforts now. Another hub has been the aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln. It is one of 21 U.S. ships funneling relief supplies in to the region.

CNN's Atika Schubert was aboard the USS Lincoln. She's now back in Banda Aceh, Indonesia where she joins us live -- Attica.

ATIKA SCHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, we're very lucky to spend the night aboard the Lincoln, and actually get to fly in one of their helicopters and see exactly how they work. I can tell you they play a critical role in this relief effort. And the reason for that is because the Lincoln actually has a squadron of helicopters that are able to get in to the most hardest hit and inaccessible areas of Aceh. The region that was hardest hit here in Indonesia.

That is a swath of coast along the western side of Aceh that was facing the epicenter. Huge portions of the area have been wiped out. The road in particular that runs along the coast, huge sections of that road have simply been washed out to sea. Bridges came crashing down. And these helicopters are the only way to reach survivors there.

There are tens of thousands, possibly still hundreds of thousands of survivors there. And it's essential to get them the food, clean water and medicines that they need to keep them alive until that infrastructure is built where the free flow of aid and relief can get to. That's why these helicopters are so important. They're the only way to get in and make sure those survivors get what they need to last, hold on just a little bit longer -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Atika, I know you've been on board the ship, and might not know a lot about what happened at the airport. But with that plane that was bringing all those supplies running into the water buffalo, the significance of it shutting down the airport. I would imagine that was the last thing they wanted to hear.

SCHUBERT: Exactly. This is a minor inconvenience in some places when a Boeing 737 crashes into a herd of cattle, as it did today. It is a disaster here because it shut down the airport for nearly 15 hours. In fact, we actually landed at the airport this morning on one of the helicopters from the Lincoln. Saw that this plane was on the runway with its wing sort of tilted and it was shut for the rest of the day. And what that means is that relief flights coming in are not able to unload all of that aid that needs to be picked up by the helicopters and brought to survivors.

So this was a huge stumbling block for today. Certainly delayed efforts dramatically. Fortunately, however, they have been able to clear the runway and are starting those relief operations again.

Atika Schubert, from Banda Aceh, thank you for that.

And stay with CNN; our unmatched resources for the coverage of the tsunami disaster and the worldwide relief efforts. Tonight we're going to take a special prime-time look at turning the tide. Our live reports from Asia begin at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific. SANCHEZ: We're also going to be looking at this during this hour. Poor countries and rich countries. Nations all over the word are trying to come to the aid of tsunami victims. But when it comes to the pledges of aid, where do the Arab countries rank? Well, the answer may surprise you. We're going to bring it to you soon.

KAGAN: Plus, where are your tsunami donations going? We're going to break down the dollar to show you how organizations are using your funds.

SANCHEZ: And then later, they have feelings, too. Children talk about their tsunami concerns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: And we welcome you back to CNN LIVE TODAY.

Here's an interesting perspective. In the aftermath of Asia's tsunami tragedy, a global sense of grief has spurred a world of giving. Everywhere, seemingly every nation has been affected in one way or another. Many nations are pledging money and providing aid. But how does the Arab world view this tragedy?

For that story, here now is CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs Octavia Nasr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): Arab media dispatched correspondent to disaster stricken areas, focusing their coverage on Muslim towns and villages in Sri Lanka and Indonesia; mosques that survived the devastation, the stories of survivors and deliveries of aid, some of it by the U.S. military.

This al Jazeera reporter in Sumatra says away from the war in Iraq, but on a mission just as important, U.S. military personnel deliver much-needed food aid to areas struck by the tsunami.

But when it comes to aid pledges from nations around the world, Arab countries are at the bottom of the list. Saudi Arabia has pledged $10 million. Compare that to the $155 million raised in 2002 at this telethon on Saudi TV for families of Palestinian suicide bombers. Prince al Walid bin Talal donated $27 million out of his own pocket to that fund-raiser.

In Arabic chat rooms, a genuine anger at Arab governments and Arab media alike. An Arab talk show host says, "Many Arab viewers have become racist. Unfortunately, the tragedy that befell Asians has no effect on many of them."

An Arab intellectual writes, "This is the chance for to show their humanity regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. Giving just because it is the right thing to do."

At least the Emirate of Dubai has made a start. This shipment of clean drinking water has already made it to Sri Lanka. And a walk-a- thon is planned for Thursday to raise funds for tsunami victims.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NASR: And this has changed, of course, overnight. Now, Arab governments are pledging more. Some of them pledging tenfold what they had pledged already and we expect these numbers to continue to rise.

SANCHEZ: A lot of these countries are so wealthy that a lot of the servants that work in these countries, the nannies, the people who cut the grass, are from these particular countries, are they not?

NASR: Absolutely. The Gulf region is full of Indians, Thai, Indonesians, Sri Lankans. They do work. I mean they're guest workers. They do most of the work in the Gulf region and the rest of the Middle East. That's why the outrage. That's why people are outraged.

SANCHEZ: The argument would be when you combine that with the fact that they've had record surplus years, in terms of oil money that has been coming in, the expectation is that they should be giving a lot of money.

NASR: Right. And Kuwait in particular, I mean there is this very famous now editorial that was published yesterday, that people are commenting about a lot. It stirred up a lot of controversy. Because it's saying that Kuwait, for example, has a huge surplus.

And usually what these governments do, they take that surplus, and distribute it to their own people. And they're saying how about we give some of that money to the poor people that were stricken by that disaster? Especially that these are the same people that raised our children, cleaned our homes, helped us in restaurants and hotels, and so forth.

SANCHEZ: Down to about 15 seconds. But I think there's a point that we should make that is there is a difference between the governments of many of these countries and the Arab street, as we often call it, or the people who live in these countries.

NASR: That's true, of course. And people are outraged. They're going on the internet, they're venting and all that. Now, what the governments are going to do is different. And many experts are telling us now wait, private companies and private individuals are going to donate money. But the idea of a government coming out and saying, for example, a country like the UAE, the United Arab Emirates saying $2 million. Now they're saying $20 million.

SANCHEZ: Twenty million.

NASR: Huge difference.

SANCHEZ: Some of that coming from corporate.

We thank you, as usual, for bringing us that perspective.

NASR: Any time.

SANCHEZ: All right, Octavia.

KAGAN: Well, his establishment was wiped out entirely but that has not curtailed his dream.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We should be able to prevail this kind of nightmare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Still to come the owner of this once lavish hotel in Paradise Island shares his pain, but also his vision for the future. It's a story you'll see only here on CNN.

SANCHEZ: But first, presidents 41 and 42 team up in this relief effort. Hear how they plan to get U.S. citizens and corporations specifically involved in their strategy to get the aid into the right hands.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: It was an amazing picture, as you first saw it here yesterday on CNN about this same time. President Bush tapping two former presidents to lead U.S. fund-raising for tsunami victims. Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush will trying and solicit private donations by traveling the country. They're also going to reach out to their own contacts for money from corporations, foundations and others as well. Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush are urging Americans to give money, not goods.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON (D), FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: I want people here at home and America, and throughout the world who are listening to this program to know that if you only have a dollar, $5, $10 to give, if you -- a million of you do that, you'll make a huge difference. And it will make a difference. And because of the technology today, you can give it and direct it.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH (R), FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: It's important to get the money. But it's important that it be delivered properly. And that it go in to the hands of those who have limited overhead, but are willing to deliver the money to the get the goods and get them into the areas that are required. It I think they're going about it in the right way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Both of them talking to Larry King last night. The government does have a website, by the way to direct people to charities. That address, we have it for you, is www.usafreedomcorps, that's usafreedomcorps.gov. KAGAN: And before you do choose a worthy relief organization, you're going to want to know, are you getting the most benefit for your buck? CNN's Allan Chernoff rates some of the top charities.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN-FN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Corporate donations of medical supplies keep arriving at AmeriCares. The relief group is transporting the goods to established charities in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India. Normally $99 of every $100 donated goes to relief. But for tsunami aid, AmeriCares president promises every cent will go for assistance.

CURT WELLING, PRESIDENT, AMERICARES: We are greatly benefited by the fact that we have wonderful relationships with most of the world's major pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies. And so, that means that an awful lot of the things that we get are donated to us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for calling the American Red Cross.

CHERNOFF: The American Red Cross, the giant of U.S. relief agencies, spends $300 million a year on administration and fund- raising. Even so, it too, is relatively efficient, $91 of every $100 donated goes for assistance at home and overseas. Altogether, the American Red Cross spends just over $3 billion a year on assistance.

Save the Children also delivers $91 worth of aid for every $100 donated. Doctors Without Borders has very low administrative expenses. It relies on volunteers. It accepts no money from the U.S. government. And so, the group spends a lot for fund-raising. As a result, $85 every $100 goes for aid. That's slightly below the median for international relief organizations.

Those who track relief groups say providing aid in the Third World is not cheap.

ROBERT OTTENHOFF, PRESIDENT & CEO, GUIDESTAR: We've got to remember that these are organizations that have staffs to support, and activities to run. So you can't expect them to have no overhead costs.

CHERNOFF: Oxfam, the hunger relief group says better than 90% of tsunami donations get to the victims. But Oxfam concedes its ongoing projects overseas and college fund-raising are labor intensive. During normal times, just $77 of each $100 donation is directed towards assistance programs.

(on camera): Every relief organization pursues its mission in a different fashion. Some routes require more time and money than others. So there's no precise apples to apples comparison of all the organizations trying to address the humanitarian crisis.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: So if you want to help, our website can show you how. Just go to cnn.com/quake, and under "Resources" you'll find how to donate. You'll find a list of groups seeking donations and links to their sites.

SANCHEZ: Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, you've seen the pictures of ravaged Phuket hotels. Well, Up next, the hotel owner of one particular establishment shares thoughts on his loss, and his determination. This is a story you'll see only on CNN.

KAGAN: And later, it's on their minds, too. A look at how children are dealing with the hard lessons of the tsunami.

SANCHEZ: And stay with CNN for our coverage of tsunami disaster and the relief efforts under way as we speak. Tonight, we're going to take a special prime-time look at "Turning the Tide." Our live reports from Asia begin at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And here's what's happening right now in the news.

Insurgent violence in Iraq continues to escalate less than four weeks before the nation's elections. Gunmen today ambushed a convoy carrying Baghdad's governor. They killed him and at least one of his bodyguards. Ali al Hadri had survived an assassination attempt back in September that we had told you about. We're going to have a live report on this and other occurrences in just a couple of minutes.

A White House, the White House, I should say, is considering major reforms to Social Security, including new equations that could reduce the benefits paid to future retirees. Administration officials point out that no final decision has been made on how to change the troubled system. The government estimates have said Social Security will go broke in less than 30 years.

California is again being racked by storms that stretch from one end to the other. To the north, more snow is being added to the several feet that fell just last week. A 40-mile stretch of the state's main north/south highway interstate is closed. That would be Interstate 5, by the way. Southern California, on the other hand, has grappled with heavy rains, flooding and hail at the very same time.

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Aired January 4, 2005 - 10:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CO-ANCHOR: Here's Daryn and Rick at the CNN Center.
Good morning, guys. How are you?

RICK SANCHEZ, CNN CO-ANCHOR: It's always a little scary when they toss to you and you see Andy throwing his head back like that.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: What could that be all about?

HEIDI COLLINS, CO-ANCHOR: He always does that.

DARYN KAGAN, CO-ANCHOR: There you go. You guys have a great day in New York City. We have a lot to get to, here. A lot happening even as we're on the air.

SANCHEZ: We certainly do. In fact, here's what's happening right now in the news.

More relief has gone toward tsunami victims in 10 days than went to all global emergencies last year. That from the United Nations. But officials say a logistical nightmare is still keeping the aid from tens of thousands of people.

An al Qaeda linked group has claimed responsibility for today's assassination of the governor of Baghdad. The government opened fire on Ali al Hadri's car today. The attack, the highest profile killing of an Iraqi official in months. Also in Baghdad today, a suicide truck bomb kills 10 people. More on that.

The 109-Congress convenes in two hours. Lawmakers will vote on a resolution expressing support for the tsunami victims. Congress is expected to add to President Bush's 350 million-aid commitment, but it may be a few weeks before a specific package is actually approved.

And a newly surfaced document is raising questions about when Eli Lilly and Company first learned of Prozac concerns. The 1988 document said that people taking Prozac were far more likely to attempt suicide than those taking another anti-depressant. The company's statement says it has always been Lilly's objective to publicize safety data about Prozac.

And hello again, everyone. I'm Rick Sanchez.

KAGAN: And I'm Daryn Kagan. Good morning.

U.S. Marines on a mission. The first contingent is now in Sri Lanka, among those turning the tide.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPT. PETER WILSON, U.S. MARINE CORPS: There's a lot of death and destruction here. But I think that the strongest people have already started to rebuild. And watching the news last night in this area, we're talking about trying to rebuild, we saw that on the drive down here. And we just want to help the Sri Lankan government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: By tomorrow, at least 900 Marines will be in Sri Lanka for one of the largest relief missions ever carried out by the U.S. military. They're bringing with them heavy lifting helicopters. A half million pounds of supplies, and maybe most importantly, help for rebuilding roads and paving the way for recovery.

We're going to get the latest now from Sri Lanka, a nation listing the tsunami second highest death toll. Satinder Bindra reports from Colombo's international airport. That is where the first Marines are arriving today -- Satinder.

SATINDER BINDRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The U.S. relief effort in Sri Lanka is now in top flight. Just a few hours ago, a C-5 touched down here in the capital Colombo. On board, 100 Marines and a lot of water purification, and other reconstruction materials. The U.S. forces will concentrate their efforts in southern Sri Lanka. It's expected a lot of the U.S. equipment would be deployed in about four days from now.

But already just this afternoon, a couple of U.S. helicopters reached the southern city of Galle. Galle, of course, one of the worst affected areas; several thousand people there killed. Several thousand homeless. But U.S. aid reached several very Sri Lankans. They attempted it gleefully.

Now, this U.S. effort will continue to grow over the next few days. More supplies will arrive. Tomorrow morning, Sri Lankan time, another C-5 is scheduled to land in Colombo. Over the next few days, the U.S. relief mission will grow to about 1200 Marines. And this mission will be spread all across this tiny island nation of Sri Lanka.

Satinder Bindra, CNN, Colombo.

SANCHEZ: Meanwhile, relief efforts bogged down in the nation suffering the greatest death toll thus far. For several hours, relief planes were unable to land at the only available airport in Banda Aceh in Indonesia, because a Boeing 737 hit a water buffalo. Military organizers say the relief efforts weren't impacted much because the crippled plane was moved quickly enough.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) CAPT. MATT KLUNDER, U.S. NAVY: In conjunction with our Indonesian friends and some other coalition friends here, with literally fork lifts, air bags under the aircraft, and some dollies we brought from the ship. We have moved that 737 off the runway. And this is something our crash and salvage people dream of. And I'm telling you it's a very, very difficult evolution. It's spectacular. We're so proud of everybody here. And actually, we didn't think we'd get it done they'd get done right now. They just moved it off the runway here. So this is really incredible stuff.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: So interestingly enough, while the plane sat on the runway, military helicopters from the United States, Australia and Singapore were still able to continue ferrying supplies.

As you've heard, Secretary of State Colin Powell is in the region today. He's there to try to oversee the relief efforts and try and assess humanitarian needs. He's being accompanied by President Bush's brother, Florida's Governor Jeb Bush, his recent experience in dealing with natural disasters.

Our John King is traveling with Secretary Powell and Governor Bush and this morning he had a chance to talk with the governor about what he's seen in Thailand so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JEB BUSH (R), FLORIDA: I'll tell you that the prime minister here said he appreciated the call. The first call that the foreign minister got was from Secretary Powell. The response by the United States military has been impressive. I think that he's done exactly what he should do.

And this needs to be an ongoing thing. Once CNN leaves, and I leave, and others leave, there's going to be a lot of work to be done. And I think basically that's my message to the president would be to make this a long-term effort. Provide the support. And I believe he will.

JOHN KING, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Do you think your message is going to have to be that it's going to take more than $350 million in U.S. government money over the long run?

BUSH: You know, that's a lot of money. Once you get past a couple of million, for me that starts adding up. So I don't know what the exact number is. But, this is a massive disaster. It's appropriate for the world's most powerful country to respond to it as we're doing it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: And as you may recall from our extensive coverage here on CNN, Jeb Bush got a mere taste of the widespread destruction this summer, when a Record 4 hurricanes slammed into his straight and caused billions of dollars in damage. KAGAN: More on the relief efforts now. Another hub has been the aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln. It is one of 21 U.S. ships funneling relief supplies in to the region.

CNN's Atika Schubert was aboard the USS Lincoln. She's now back in Banda Aceh, Indonesia where she joins us live -- Attica.

ATIKA SCHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Daryn, we're very lucky to spend the night aboard the Lincoln, and actually get to fly in one of their helicopters and see exactly how they work. I can tell you they play a critical role in this relief effort. And the reason for that is because the Lincoln actually has a squadron of helicopters that are able to get in to the most hardest hit and inaccessible areas of Aceh. The region that was hardest hit here in Indonesia.

That is a swath of coast along the western side of Aceh that was facing the epicenter. Huge portions of the area have been wiped out. The road in particular that runs along the coast, huge sections of that road have simply been washed out to sea. Bridges came crashing down. And these helicopters are the only way to reach survivors there.

There are tens of thousands, possibly still hundreds of thousands of survivors there. And it's essential to get them the food, clean water and medicines that they need to keep them alive until that infrastructure is built where the free flow of aid and relief can get to. That's why these helicopters are so important. They're the only way to get in and make sure those survivors get what they need to last, hold on just a little bit longer -- Daryn.

KAGAN: Atika, I know you've been on board the ship, and might not know a lot about what happened at the airport. But with that plane that was bringing all those supplies running into the water buffalo, the significance of it shutting down the airport. I would imagine that was the last thing they wanted to hear.

SCHUBERT: Exactly. This is a minor inconvenience in some places when a Boeing 737 crashes into a herd of cattle, as it did today. It is a disaster here because it shut down the airport for nearly 15 hours. In fact, we actually landed at the airport this morning on one of the helicopters from the Lincoln. Saw that this plane was on the runway with its wing sort of tilted and it was shut for the rest of the day. And what that means is that relief flights coming in are not able to unload all of that aid that needs to be picked up by the helicopters and brought to survivors.

So this was a huge stumbling block for today. Certainly delayed efforts dramatically. Fortunately, however, they have been able to clear the runway and are starting those relief operations again.

Atika Schubert, from Banda Aceh, thank you for that.

And stay with CNN; our unmatched resources for the coverage of the tsunami disaster and the worldwide relief efforts. Tonight we're going to take a special prime-time look at turning the tide. Our live reports from Asia begin at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific. SANCHEZ: We're also going to be looking at this during this hour. Poor countries and rich countries. Nations all over the word are trying to come to the aid of tsunami victims. But when it comes to the pledges of aid, where do the Arab countries rank? Well, the answer may surprise you. We're going to bring it to you soon.

KAGAN: Plus, where are your tsunami donations going? We're going to break down the dollar to show you how organizations are using your funds.

SANCHEZ: And then later, they have feelings, too. Children talk about their tsunami concerns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: And we welcome you back to CNN LIVE TODAY.

Here's an interesting perspective. In the aftermath of Asia's tsunami tragedy, a global sense of grief has spurred a world of giving. Everywhere, seemingly every nation has been affected in one way or another. Many nations are pledging money and providing aid. But how does the Arab world view this tragedy?

For that story, here now is CNN's senior editor for Arab affairs Octavia Nasr.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OCTAVIA NASR, CNN SENIOR ARAB AFFAIRS EDITOR (voice-over): Arab media dispatched correspondent to disaster stricken areas, focusing their coverage on Muslim towns and villages in Sri Lanka and Indonesia; mosques that survived the devastation, the stories of survivors and deliveries of aid, some of it by the U.S. military.

This al Jazeera reporter in Sumatra says away from the war in Iraq, but on a mission just as important, U.S. military personnel deliver much-needed food aid to areas struck by the tsunami.

But when it comes to aid pledges from nations around the world, Arab countries are at the bottom of the list. Saudi Arabia has pledged $10 million. Compare that to the $155 million raised in 2002 at this telethon on Saudi TV for families of Palestinian suicide bombers. Prince al Walid bin Talal donated $27 million out of his own pocket to that fund-raiser.

In Arabic chat rooms, a genuine anger at Arab governments and Arab media alike. An Arab talk show host says, "Many Arab viewers have become racist. Unfortunately, the tragedy that befell Asians has no effect on many of them."

An Arab intellectual writes, "This is the chance for to show their humanity regardless of race, ethnicity or religion. Giving just because it is the right thing to do."

At least the Emirate of Dubai has made a start. This shipment of clean drinking water has already made it to Sri Lanka. And a walk-a- thon is planned for Thursday to raise funds for tsunami victims.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NASR: And this has changed, of course, overnight. Now, Arab governments are pledging more. Some of them pledging tenfold what they had pledged already and we expect these numbers to continue to rise.

SANCHEZ: A lot of these countries are so wealthy that a lot of the servants that work in these countries, the nannies, the people who cut the grass, are from these particular countries, are they not?

NASR: Absolutely. The Gulf region is full of Indians, Thai, Indonesians, Sri Lankans. They do work. I mean they're guest workers. They do most of the work in the Gulf region and the rest of the Middle East. That's why the outrage. That's why people are outraged.

SANCHEZ: The argument would be when you combine that with the fact that they've had record surplus years, in terms of oil money that has been coming in, the expectation is that they should be giving a lot of money.

NASR: Right. And Kuwait in particular, I mean there is this very famous now editorial that was published yesterday, that people are commenting about a lot. It stirred up a lot of controversy. Because it's saying that Kuwait, for example, has a huge surplus.

And usually what these governments do, they take that surplus, and distribute it to their own people. And they're saying how about we give some of that money to the poor people that were stricken by that disaster? Especially that these are the same people that raised our children, cleaned our homes, helped us in restaurants and hotels, and so forth.

SANCHEZ: Down to about 15 seconds. But I think there's a point that we should make that is there is a difference between the governments of many of these countries and the Arab street, as we often call it, or the people who live in these countries.

NASR: That's true, of course. And people are outraged. They're going on the internet, they're venting and all that. Now, what the governments are going to do is different. And many experts are telling us now wait, private companies and private individuals are going to donate money. But the idea of a government coming out and saying, for example, a country like the UAE, the United Arab Emirates saying $2 million. Now they're saying $20 million.

SANCHEZ: Twenty million.

NASR: Huge difference.

SANCHEZ: Some of that coming from corporate.

We thank you, as usual, for bringing us that perspective.

NASR: Any time.

SANCHEZ: All right, Octavia.

KAGAN: Well, his establishment was wiped out entirely but that has not curtailed his dream.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We should be able to prevail this kind of nightmare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Still to come the owner of this once lavish hotel in Paradise Island shares his pain, but also his vision for the future. It's a story you'll see only here on CNN.

SANCHEZ: But first, presidents 41 and 42 team up in this relief effort. Hear how they plan to get U.S. citizens and corporations specifically involved in their strategy to get the aid into the right hands.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: It was an amazing picture, as you first saw it here yesterday on CNN about this same time. President Bush tapping two former presidents to lead U.S. fund-raising for tsunami victims. Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush will trying and solicit private donations by traveling the country. They're also going to reach out to their own contacts for money from corporations, foundations and others as well. Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush are urging Americans to give money, not goods.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL CLINTON (D), FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: I want people here at home and America, and throughout the world who are listening to this program to know that if you only have a dollar, $5, $10 to give, if you -- a million of you do that, you'll make a huge difference. And it will make a difference. And because of the technology today, you can give it and direct it.

GEORGE H. W. BUSH (R), FORMER UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: It's important to get the money. But it's important that it be delivered properly. And that it go in to the hands of those who have limited overhead, but are willing to deliver the money to the get the goods and get them into the areas that are required. It I think they're going about it in the right way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Both of them talking to Larry King last night. The government does have a website, by the way to direct people to charities. That address, we have it for you, is www.usafreedomcorps, that's usafreedomcorps.gov. KAGAN: And before you do choose a worthy relief organization, you're going to want to know, are you getting the most benefit for your buck? CNN's Allan Chernoff rates some of the top charities.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN-FN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Corporate donations of medical supplies keep arriving at AmeriCares. The relief group is transporting the goods to established charities in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and India. Normally $99 of every $100 donated goes to relief. But for tsunami aid, AmeriCares president promises every cent will go for assistance.

CURT WELLING, PRESIDENT, AMERICARES: We are greatly benefited by the fact that we have wonderful relationships with most of the world's major pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies. And so, that means that an awful lot of the things that we get are donated to us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you for calling the American Red Cross.

CHERNOFF: The American Red Cross, the giant of U.S. relief agencies, spends $300 million a year on administration and fund- raising. Even so, it too, is relatively efficient, $91 of every $100 donated goes for assistance at home and overseas. Altogether, the American Red Cross spends just over $3 billion a year on assistance.

Save the Children also delivers $91 worth of aid for every $100 donated. Doctors Without Borders has very low administrative expenses. It relies on volunteers. It accepts no money from the U.S. government. And so, the group spends a lot for fund-raising. As a result, $85 every $100 goes for aid. That's slightly below the median for international relief organizations.

Those who track relief groups say providing aid in the Third World is not cheap.

ROBERT OTTENHOFF, PRESIDENT & CEO, GUIDESTAR: We've got to remember that these are organizations that have staffs to support, and activities to run. So you can't expect them to have no overhead costs.

CHERNOFF: Oxfam, the hunger relief group says better than 90% of tsunami donations get to the victims. But Oxfam concedes its ongoing projects overseas and college fund-raising are labor intensive. During normal times, just $77 of each $100 donation is directed towards assistance programs.

(on camera): Every relief organization pursues its mission in a different fashion. Some routes require more time and money than others. So there's no precise apples to apples comparison of all the organizations trying to address the humanitarian crisis.

Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: So if you want to help, our website can show you how. Just go to cnn.com/quake, and under "Resources" you'll find how to donate. You'll find a list of groups seeking donations and links to their sites.

SANCHEZ: Still to come on CNN LIVE TODAY, you've seen the pictures of ravaged Phuket hotels. Well, Up next, the hotel owner of one particular establishment shares thoughts on his loss, and his determination. This is a story you'll see only on CNN.

KAGAN: And later, it's on their minds, too. A look at how children are dealing with the hard lessons of the tsunami.

SANCHEZ: And stay with CNN for our coverage of tsunami disaster and the relief efforts under way as we speak. Tonight, we're going to take a special prime-time look at "Turning the Tide." Our live reports from Asia begin at 7:00 Eastern, 4:00 Pacific.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: We're coming up on the half hour. Good morning once again. I'm Daryn Kagan.

SANCHEZ: And I'm Rick Sanchez. And here's what's happening right now in the news.

Insurgent violence in Iraq continues to escalate less than four weeks before the nation's elections. Gunmen today ambushed a convoy carrying Baghdad's governor. They killed him and at least one of his bodyguards. Ali al Hadri had survived an assassination attempt back in September that we had told you about. We're going to have a live report on this and other occurrences in just a couple of minutes.

A White House, the White House, I should say, is considering major reforms to Social Security, including new equations that could reduce the benefits paid to future retirees. Administration officials point out that no final decision has been made on how to change the troubled system. The government estimates have said Social Security will go broke in less than 30 years.

California is again being racked by storms that stretch from one end to the other. To the north, more snow is being added to the several feet that fell just last week. A 40-mile stretch of the state's main north/south highway interstate is closed. That would be Interstate 5, by the way. Southern California, on the other hand, has grappled with heavy rains, flooding and hail at the very same time.

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