Former US presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton yesterday visited hundreds of hurricane victims in Houston's Astrodome and a nearby centre.
The two men, who raised $11 million for victims of last year's Asian tsunami, announced the creation of the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund and then spent more than four hours talking with the evacuees.
Former U.S. president George Bush plays with 3-year-old Corrill Hoskins inside Reliant Hall adjacent to the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. REUTERS/Richard.
"They are beginning to think about the rest of their lives now, so I think it is up to us to fill in the blanks," Mr Clinton said.
Corporations including Microsoft, Nike, and the Trump Group have already pledged donations to the fund, and Wal-Mart and the Walton Family Foundation have given $23 million.
Mr Clinton said the federal government's response to the tragedy should be examined, but for now, he said, the focus needs to be on helping the refugees restart their lives.
"There is still a lot of anger. There is still a lot of confusion, but I don't think we should be surprised," Mr Clinton said. "These people lost everything and the experience they had in the Superdome or the convention center was horrible. They didn't have food. They didn't have water. They didn't have sanitation and it was a nightmare."
Mr Bush said that, as a father, he does not like the criticism levelled at his son, President Bush, but "as a president it goes with the territory".
Both former presidents indicated that with time the country will cope with the disaster.
AP