World leaders offer sympathy, aid

London - British Prime Minister Tony Blair led world leaders' pledges of aid to hurricane-stricken areas of the U.S. Friday with an offer to help "in any way we can."

"The whole of this country feels for the people of the Gulf Coast of America" who have been hit "by what is a terrible, terrible natural tragedy," he said.

Blair's comments added to a growing catalog of prayers, messages of condolence and pledges of money and aid that have been offered from countries across the globe in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sent a message to the White House offering her sympathy and the Vatican sent a telegram to say that Pope Benedict XVI was "deeply saddened" by the disaster and that he was praying for the victims and rescuers.

Australia on Friday said it would donate A$10 million (US$7.7 million) immediately to the American Red Cross as well as sending a team of emergency management specialists to identify what other help could be offered and providing services where most needed.

Japan donated $200,000 to the Red Cross and would also provide up to $300,000 in aid supplies such as tents and power generators, The Associated Press quoted officials as saying.

The European Union said it was ready to offer any assistance in the wake of "what is perhaps the greatest civil emergency in U.S. history."

The International Energy Agency "has agreed to make 60 million barrels of product available" to help the United States weather the economic problems caused by Hurricane Katrina, a Bush administration official said Friday. (Full story)

NATO said help was available but it would need to know more about what could be needed.

Germany also said it would offer aid or money if requested by Washington, though officials said the U.S. was well equipped to deal with natural disasters.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder sent a telegram to President George W. Bush saying he was "deeply shocked" by the news.

"Many Germans know and love the City of New Orleans and feel deeply the great worries the people there and in the region have regarding their safety and future," he wrote.

French President Jacques Chirac -- an opponent of Bush over the issue of the Iraq war -- added a handwritten "Dear George" to his letter of condolence to the U.S. in which he expressed France's "deepest condolences" and solidarity with those affected.

At the United Nations, the official spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the U.S. was the country best prepared in the world to deal with such a natural disaster.

But he added that the sheer size of the catastrophe meant outside help might be useful.

"The American people, who have always been the most generous in responding to disasters in other parts of the world, have now themselves suffered a grievous blow," he said.

The U.N.'s humanitarian chief, Jan Egeland, said Katrina was one of history's most damaging natural disasters. He said it had caused more destruction than last year's December 26 tsunami that killed an estimated 180,000 across southern Asia, AP reported.

In the Netherlands, much of which lies below sea level as in New Orleans, there was some consternation that the Louisiana city was so poorly prepared, AP reported.

The nation installed massive hydraulic sea walls known as the Delta Works after devastating floods in 1953.

"I don't want to sound overly critical, but it's hard to imagine that [the damage caused by Katrina] could happen in a Western country," Ted Sluijter, press spokesman for Neeltje Jans, the public park where the Delta Works are exhibited, was reported as saying by AP.

"It seemed like plans for protection and evacuation weren't really in place, and once it happened, the coordination" was poor.

'Solidarity' among nature's victims

But from others hit by national disasters, there was more sympathy.

Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga said she and her fellow citizens felt solidarity with those affected.

"Having experienced the fury of nature ourselves during the December 26 tsunami, the people of Sri Lanka and I fully empathize with you at this hour of national grief," she said in a message to the U.S.

And while the small island nation is still recovering from the tsunami disaster, it also pledged $25,000 to the American Red Cross, the AP reported. -- CNN News

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