Thailand to send rice to quake-hit Haiti

19 Jan, 2010
DPA

Bangkok - The Thai government agreed Tuesday to send 20,000 tons of rice to Haiti after facing criticism for earlier this week offering only 20,000 dollars in aid to the disaster-stricken country.

Besides rice, the Thai cabinet agreed to also send medical teams and pledged an additional 30 million baht (909,000 dollars) in emergency aid to earthquake-hit Haiti, government sources said. Thailand earlier this week announced plans to donate only 20,000 dollars in humanitarian aid to Haiti, less than neighbouring countries such as Cambodia and Indonesia had offered.

Government officials insisted the amount had been merely the first step in its aid plan for Haiti.