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The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will present $25 million in phases to five charity organisations, including the Red Cross, World Vision, Oxfam, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Salvation Army, to help the rebuilding work in South Asia areas affected by the tsunamis.

A spokesman for the Home Affairs Department said that with the consent of the five charity organisations, 30 per cent of the $33 million-fund raised in the Government-coordinated event for tsunami victims would be set aside to meet the needs of those tsunami-affected Hong Kong citizens, while 70 per cent of the sum, amounting to $25 million, would be shared among them in three slots.

The spokesman said that the Home Affairs Department would allocate $7.5 million to the five charity groups tomorrow (January 12) on top of the first slot of $10 million to them on January 7. The Government will give the remaining $7.5 million to the organisations as soon as possible.

The spokesman added: "an advisory committee will be set up and will soon hold a meeting to decide how to allocate the sum set aside for tsunami-affected Hong Kong people."

Ends/Tuesday, January 11, 2005

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