SPAIN PLEDGES 53 MILLION EUROS IN AID

Spain was one of the European countries least affected by the tragedy in South East Asia, probably because holidaying in that part of the world has not become so fashionable here yet. But that didn't stop the government from being among the first to organise the dispatch of emergency supplies. A Spanish plan was on its way to Sri Lanka as early as Monday evening with orders to bring back anyone who wanted to get of the country, regardless of their nationality. Later in the week, Parliament earmarked 53 million euros in aid to the disaster area. First reports coming in from the area indicated that 20 Spaniards were in hospital there - 10 in Thailand, 8 in Phuket and 2 in Bangkok. By mid-week the Foreign Ministry had been able to verify that a family of four were missing, but they returned safe and sound from Phuket last Friday, together with the eight Spaniards who had been hospitalised there. Jorge Ormazabal, his wife Maria Jose and their two children, 12-year-old Andrea and Boris, 5, (see photo) were saved because the tour company they had travelled with had arranged an excursion away from the beach for the day of the tsunami. Sr Ormazabal told reporters on arrival: "They were humping the dead bodies away over their shoulders, as if they were merchandise." Andrea Paradela, 42, was among the lucky ones. One the day of the disaster, she was in Aceh, one of the worst-hit areas in Indonesia. Paradoxically, she was actually at sea in a boat when the huge waves swept all before them on the beaches. However, out at sea the tsunami waves are only a big swell and Sra Paradela drifted for two days before landing on Sumatra, where she said the scenes "apocalyptic". Catalan businessman Manel Vila was not so lucky. His wife Monica and their 12-year-old daughter saw him being swept away when the tsunami hit Khao Lak beach on Phuket island but his family refuse to give up hope. His brother José María Vila and his wife interrupted their skiing holiday in Andorra to fly to Bangkok to start searching for him in hospitals and clinics. Sr Vila said: "Seeing all this I realise that what happened is much more serious than people back in Spain think." Monica Vila is Swedish and is currently in hospital in Sweden. Her daughter was found several days after being separated from her mother and is back in Spain with her father's family. Several Spanish NGOs are requesting donations of help and can be contacted on the following numbers: Accion Contra el Hambre (Action against Hunger) 913 915 300 Intermon Ofxam 902 330 331 Manos Unidos (Hands United) 913 082 020 MPDL - Peace, Democracy and Freedom Movement 914 297 644 Medicos sin Frontiers (Doctors without Frontiers) 933 046 100 Medicos del Mundo (Doctors of the World) 915 436 033 Spanish Red Cross 902 222 292 Caritas 914 441 016