Disaster Relief
Published December 31, 2004
Stepping aside from the unfortunate politicking, it is our human duty to help out people in need. The disaster in Asia - one of the ten worst known natural disasters in human history - has seen an outpouring of support for the victims. Companies, individuals, non-governmental organizations and governments are doing their utmost to get aid where it is needed.
Here are a few places to start - Feel free to add your own as comments to this post. As always, be careful in choosing a well known charity rather than what may seem as a shady operator - and stay away from blogroaches.
1. The Red Cross and allied organizations are doing yeoman service in disaster relief.
2. Amazon has a convenient One-click link for contributions on their home page - 100% of the contributions go to the Red Cross
3. Musicians have formed charities and will be doing relief concerts next year - visit musicforrelief.org to contribute through their site
4. The UNICEF organization is working to provide relief to children affected by the disaster - they have an ad up on blogcritics as well.
5. The Salvation Army is taking donations
6. The SEA-EAT blog is a good resource for info and volunteer/relief sites
7. For India, you can contribute to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund (I will add additional country-specific funds here soon)
8. Wikipedia has a load of information, beginning with the main page on the 2004 Tsunami and Earthquake. The humanitarian response wiki is informative
9. Most large corporations are making contributions, and may have matching gifts programs.
10. If you have the time, money and inclination (or geographical proximity), head on over to a relief center in the disaster region and lend a hand.
- Disaster Relief
- Published: December 31, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Politics
- Filed Under: Culture: Media
- Writer: Aaman Lamba
- Aaman Lamba's BC Writer page
- Aaman Lamba's personal site
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Forwarded from an email from the author Arthur C. Clarke:
"This is indeed a disaster of unprecedented magnitude for Sri Lanka, which lacks the resources and capacity to cope with the aftermath. We are encouraging concerned friends to contribute to the relief efforts launched by various national and international organisations. If you wish to join these efforts, I can recommend two options.
- Contribute to a Sri Lanka disaster relief fund launched by an internationally operating humanitarian charity, such as Care or Oxfam.
- Alternatively, considering supporting Sarvodaya, the largest development charity in Sri Lanka, which has a 45-year track record in reaching out and helping the poorest of the poor. Sarvodaya has mounted a well organised, countrywide relief effort using their countrywide network of offices and volunteers who work in all parts of the country, well above ethnic and other divisions. Their website, www.sarvodaya.lk , provides bank account details for financial donations. They also welcome contributions in kind -- a list of urgently needed items is found at: http://www.sarvodaya.lk/Inside_Page/urgently%20needed.htm
Curiously enough, in my first book on Sri Lanka, I had written about another tidal wave reaching the Galle harbour (see Chapter 8 in The Reefs of Taprobane, 1957). That happened in August 1883, following the eruption of Krakatoa in roughly the same part of the Indian Ocean."
Is it true that this is the largest natural disaster in modern history? I had friends in Sri Lanka; I'm just happy they're alive and well!
this is one of the ten largest disasters in recorded history - no list handy, though
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I made a contribution to the Red Cross, and thought, why, like the "First Night" celebrations which have become popular in NorthAm over the last two decades, can't a "Make the World a Better Place" fund contribution be a ritual for December 31st? You could set aside money during the year for the ritual, and so on, instead of waiting for disaster.