[All posts on the quake are compiled here. Links to ways to make donations for relief can be found here. Also, feel free to use the TCP forums if you would like to discuss this topic or share information/links/stories about it.]

Two Russian aircraft have left Moscow for Sri Lanka, carrying 25 tonnes of humanitarian aid for victims of the tsunamis that devastated large parts of the country, ITAR-TASS news agency has reported.

Russia had announced that it would take part in international relief efforts, and sent diplomats to the Thai island of Phuket, where Russian holidaymakers had been staying.

The Il-76 planes heading for Sri Lanka were carrying tents and other emergency supplies, plus a helicopter and Russian rescue workers, ITAR-TASS reported.

[Australian] Defence Minister Robert Hill said two more C130 Hercules aircraft would leave for Sumatra tomorrow, after two Hercules carrying supplies and medical teams departed Richmond RAAF Base near Sydney today. [...]
"Chief of Defence Force General Cosgrove and I have spoken to our Indonesian counterparts, and have agreed that the aircraft will be dispatched to Sumatra, one of the worst-hit areas," Senator Hill said.

"Two aircraft have departed tonight carrying supplies and a medical team of 10 specialists, who will conduct health assessments and some primary treatment.

"An additional two aircraft will depart tomorrow.

"Australia is committed to doing all we can to assist our neighbours to deal with this terrible disaster."

Air Commodore Glen Steed from Richmond RAAF Base said each Hercules would carry a crew of 10 to 15 people, most of them support personnel but including specialists in environmental health and hygiene.

Also on board was water purification equipment.

He said the mission was to ensure a supply of fresh water to the people affected by the disaster.

"That's our priority – get that (purification equipment) in there and then the medical assistance to follow on," he said.

P.S. A personal appeal : Allowing the RAAF to buy 4 C-17 Globemaster III transports with spares at the same price the USAF gets them for would really help - 4 C-130s is 1/10 of our intercontinental transport capacity, and most of the rest is allocated to UN or should-be-UN missions to Iraq, Afghanistan, Timor Leste, and the Solomons. This may actually save the US some money (greater production run), increase US employment, and allow us to help you guys out a bit more in future. Right now, we have to rent Ukrainian Antonov AN-124s to do outsize cargo lifting, as we can't afford the usual "Foreign Military Sales" price for C-117s. You might point this out to your local Congresscritter. Ta.

A team of three UN experts were due to arrive in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, while another was expected to head for the Maldives in the coming hours, the UN's Assistant Emergency Relief Coordinator, Yvette Stevens said.

More specialists were poised to help authorities in Indonesia and Thailand evaluate the destruction on their coastlines and coordinate relief efforts.

"I think this is unprecedented, we have not had this before," Stevens told journalists in Geneva.

"We have all these teams ready and stand-by capacity, and we think we should be able to bring it together to cope. Of course it will be a strain, because we are not used to it, but we are doing everything possible."

A French government plane left for the Sri Lankan capital Colombo with about 100 doctors, rescue specialists and communications experts, along with six tonnes of equipment, including drugs and a field medical post, and another was following.

Germany pledged one million euros (1.35 million dollars) of aid to the stricken region and was working with humanitarian groups, as well as sending three experts to Sri Lanka to help restore water supplies.

Greece was sending two military C-130 cargo planes to the Maldives and Sri Lanka with more than six tonnes of aid along with doctors and rescuers, and had released aid worth 150,000 euros for each country, Athens said.

A plane carrying 32 tons of medicine, food and emergency goods donated by charitable organizations was due to leave Vienna later Monday for the flood-hit region, the Austrian Red Cross said.

Pakistan said it would send tents, medicine and water to Sri Lanka, while the Indian government, which has set up a huge operation to help people on its southern coasts, was also offering food and medicine to its southern neighbour aboard five warships.

Australia offered 10 million dollars (7.6 million US) dollars for aid, and dispatched two C-130s with medical specialists, drinking water and other supplies to Indonesia, with two more to follow Tuesday.

"I stress that this is an initial contribution," Prime Minister John Howard said. "Australia will and should give more".

The European Union's executive arm pledged "substantial sums" which could reach 30 million euros (40.5 million dollars) in emergency aid, after first releasing three million.

Ireland also released one million euros and both Kuwait and Canada offered about one million dollars each.

Italy has sent a planeload of aid, along with tents, a generator, a field hospital with staff and fresh water to Thailand, while Italian Catholic bishops said their church would come up with three million euros.

Britain sent two experts to join a UN crisis assessment team and pledged 100,000 dollars to fund a World Health Organisation crisis response team.

The Czech government released 10 million koruna (328,000 euros) and was sending eight tonnes of drinking water to Sri Lanka, while neighbouring Slovakia promised 10 tonnes of aid for the country.

Switzerland said it would probably raise its initial appeal for 7.5 million Swiss francs (4.8 million euros, 6.6 million dollars).

Two teams from Sweden's rescue services were to be flown to Thailand Monday, consisting of technicians and communications experts, the TT news agency said.

The United States was ready to offer "all appropriate assistance to those nations most affected," the White House said.

Japan sent a 20-member medical team, including four physicians and seven nurses, to Sri Lanka and promised more aid was on the way.

The Japanese Red Cross Society said it would give 100 million yen (965,250 dollars) to help tsunami victims and that it had an emergency response unit on standby.

Israel was also sending doctors to Sri Lanka and has offered similar help to India.

The Philippines, which was spared by the waves but recently lost 1,800 killed in devastating storms, will send "a small humanitarian contingent," said President Gloria Arroyo.

Iran, where some 31,000 people were killed in the southern city of Bam exactly a year before the Asian disaster, would also do what it could to help, President Mohammad Khatami said.

Turkey, another earthquake-prone country, also promised help.