Bloomberg

Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- German Foreign Minister Joschka offered assistance to the U.S. government in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which has caused devastation on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

``The federal government is prepared to give any assistance or support to bring this terrible natural disaster and its effects under control,'' Fischer said in an e-mailed statement today, without elaborating on the offer.

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The State Department said offers so far had come from Belgium, Canada, Russia, Japan, France, Germany, Britain, China, Australia, Jamaica, Honduras, Greece, Venezuela, the Organization of American States, NATO, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Greece, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, South Korea, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Assistance ranged from medical teams, boats, aircraft, tents, blankets, generators and cash donations.