Wood family will honour pledge to pay money to Iraq

MELBOURNE - The family of freed hostage Douglas Wood will honour its promise to pay an undisclosed amount of money to an Iraqi charity, but insist the offer is not a ransom.

Vernon Wood, Douglas' brother, said the family was in the process of making the payment, but the money had not been handed over yet.

"We haven't paid the money yet, we're in the process of doing so and it certainly isn't a ransom, it never has been a ransom," he told Southern Cross Radio.

The Wood family offered last month to pay a "generous" sum to aid humanitarian work in Iraq.

Asked if Douglas Wood's release was conditional on the payment, Mr Wood said, "yes and no, but we've made a commitment and we'll certainly honour that".

He added: "We didn't have to (pay the money), we intend to."

He said the family was waiting for an agreement on which charity the money would go to.

"We have an honour as a family and we certainly don't take it lightly," he said.

Earlier today, Mr Wood said he was preparing to ease his brother through a mental and emotional recovery after his six-week hostage ordeal.

The 63-year-old engineer has thanked Iraqi troops for helping free him from insurgents holding him in one of Baghdad's most dangerous neighbourhoods.

"He sounds good. We're all very worried how he may handle this mentally, of course, that's one of the horrific things of kidnapping and the isolation, and we'll have to deal with that in the coming days and weeks and months," Mr Wood told the Nine Network early today.

"We're very conscious that Doug's health is paramount in this and his psychological health, one would assume, may be more damaged than (his physical health)," Mr Wood later told ABC Radio.

"He will need a lot of care and protection ... and the press we'll keep at bay for those reasons."

It is not yet clear whether Douglas Wood will return home to Australia or to his wife in America.

"I think he'll do both -- in what order we don't know," Mr Wood said.

Receiving the news of his brother's release had been a highly emotional experience.

"I think it's almost harder than going through the previous six weeks. There's so much built-up emotion that we just all fell apart last night just with joy and almost disbelief. It's just been quite an experience -- a hell of a trip.

"It's been a real up-and-down emotional track but we feel elated now."

- AAP