On Dec. 26, a massive earthquake rattled the seabed off the western coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The resulting tsunami swept across the Indian Ocean, increasing in height as it reached the shore. Entire coastal villages and low-lying islands situated in and around the Indian Ocean were decimated. The affected region extends from Malaysia, Thailand and Burma in the east to Somalia and Kenya in the west. Indonesia and Sri Lanka suffered the greatest loss of life.
Tens of thousands of people were killed by the waves. Thousands more are still missing. Several Web sites and emergency hotlines have been set up to help family and friends locate missing loved ones. The Tsunami Enquiry weblog provides some of the most up-to-date contact information. Lonely Planet has set up message forums to help locate missing people and track people who have been found. For the latest news from the region, turn to HeadlineSpot.com or Yahoo! News' Asian Tsunami Disaster page.
What you can do
With search-and-rescue operations wrapping up, relief efforts are now turning toward the millions of survivors in desperate need of food, clean water, shelter and medical care. The aid and goodwill pouring in from across the globe has indeed been heartening, but more assistance is still needed and will be for some time to come. Aid experts say that because of logistical reasons, donations of money - both for immediate relief and for rebuilding efforts - are more urgently needed than gifts of clothes, blankets and food.
A number of sites have been set up to match people like you with organizations helping victims of the Asian tsunami. CNN, Yahoo! and USAID, the federal agency responsible for providing humanitarian and economic assistance, have all compiled lists of charities engaged in relief efforts. Wikipedia's list features directories to aid groups compiled by media outlets in the affected countries.
Before donating to any organization, check out the ePhilanthropy Foundation's Tips for Online Giving, which above all recommend donors give to legitimate charities they know well. Charity Navigator ranks more than 3,400 charities according to their financial health. Guidestar
and the American Institute of Philanthropy
also provide free information about charities and give you an idea of how well groups will spend your money.
Donate now!
To help you get started, we've compiled a list of established charities actively involved in relief efforts for victims of the Asian tsunami. Click on the links below to be taken directly to their Asian tsunami donation pages.
American Friends Service Committee
American Jewish World Service
American Red Cross
AmeriCares
Association for India's Development
BAPS Care International
B'nai B'rith International
CARE International
Catholic Relief Services
Direct Relief International
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières
International Rescue Committee
International Orthodox Christian Charities
Islamic Relief
Lutheran World Relief
MAP International
Mercy Corps
Oxfam America
Salvation Army
Save the Children
Sri Lanka Tsunami Victims Relief Fund
United Nations World Food Programme
UNICEF
World Vision
--- A. Schreck
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