The Indonesian Earthquake

[MissVelvetDress_75]

 

[Laura M]

I heard earlier that Richard attenborough's grandaughter died and that his daughter and her mother in law are missing.

The stories about this just makes for very grim reading. I can't look at the pictures on the news anymore.

 

[foray]

This makes bin Laden's latest tape seem extremely trite & whingey.

foray

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I've just spoken to my cousin, he's on holiday at the moment back here in Australia, but works high up for the International Red Cross as a negotiator (meaning this isn't his thing, he works in warzones). But his thoughts were pretty interesting.

As far as giving money goes, there are obviously dozens, maybe hundreds of options for where to send $. All are obviously good and will do great work, but for an immediate effect the best are either the Red Cross or Oxfam, as both already have long standing large scale resources in these areas. Still a ridiculously mammoth task for them, but they've already got I guess a bit of a lead or advantage that means they can move faster.

On the money thing, he also talked about something which I guess could easily end up as a spin off thread (and I don't mean it to), but his obvious anger at a world where governments can raise 10's of billions in no time to wage war against people, but umm and ahh and scratch their heads and argue and debate and come up with only several million for an event like this. It puts so much in perspective. He (my cousin) has a real 'seen it all' kind of world weariness towards all of his, a sort of calm anger, but I always come away from conversations with him with a real rage inside me. Anyway, it's up to us, not our governments, they clearly have more important things on their minds.

 

[Scarletwine]

I agree, we could do so much more. 35 million is a drop in the bucket campared to what is needed. Thank God we the people are so generous.

55000 tonight on the news and climbing, watching had me bawling my eyes out. So many children.

 

[beli]

All are obviously good and will do great work, but for an immediate effect the best are either the Red Cross or Oxfam, as both already have long standing large scale resources in these areas. Still a ridiculously mammoth task for them, but they've already got I guess a bit of a lead or advantage that means they can move faster.

Thank you for posting that important point. I have seen many posts, here and on other websites, of appeals run by agencys that have little or no current operation in this area. I'm sure their hearts are in the right place, positive their intentions are good but at the end of the day the funds need to get there quickly and distributed effectively.

Thanks for speaking about Red Cross/Crescent and Oxfam. I have been biting my tongue as I used to work for Oxfam so I am seriously biased on this issue and I dont want to come across as a prosletising pain in the bum. But I guess I am anyway, so stuff it!

Please send money to Red Cross/Crescent or Oxfam. Thank you.

 

[indra]

Thanks for speaking about Red Cross/Crescent and Oxfam. I have been biting my tongue as I used to work for Oxfam so I am seriously biased on this issue and I dont want to come across as a prosletising pain in the bum. But I guess I am anyway, so stuff it!

Please send money to Red Cross/Crescent or Oxfam. Thank you.

Hey, when it's something like this, prosletise all you want. Many of us want to help and realize that the best way to help is giving money to agencies that can get to work quickly. If you know which ones are set up in the area, by all means let us all know (as you have). I think we all appreciate it.

Thanks also to nbcrusader for the list of agencies.

 

[neutral]

apparently from an aerial view of that area there was little sign of life. they are already guessing the death toll is over 100, 000 people. you can't imagine how so many people could be killed in one event like that.

100,000?! I'm really having trouble even comprehending this. So many lives lost...


FYI Oxfam now has a more direct link set up for donating if anyone needs it. http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_you_can_do/give_to_oxfam/donate/asiaquake1204.htm

 

[Earnie Shavers]

It's not a matter of "who is better", really just timing. Money to a small agency is still a fantastic thing, will certainly help with rebuilding etc. Money for the immediate emergency should go to the big multinationals though. Red Cross/Oxfam for sure.

 

[beli]

It's not a matter of "who is better", really just timing. Money to a small agency is still a fantastic thing, will certainly help with rebuilding etc. Money for the immediate emergency should go to the big multinationals though. Red Cross/Oxfam for sure.

Apologies if I managled your message. I meant some are faster. Apologies again.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

No, no, didn't have any particular posts in mind, just also wanted to clear up, as you said, that it's not necessarily a matter of 'better', just 'quicker'.

 

[beli]

68,000 dead - Reuters

 

[doctorwho]

Thanks so very much for posting all of that, nbc. These are all great organizations, and I know a lot of FYMers want to help out.

A lot more than just FYMers want to help.

I request that nbc's post be a sticky placed temporarily in each forum so that people who wish to donate can easily and quickly find the necessary information.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Jesus.

Beli do Oxfam and the bigger ones get much remedial support then from the smaller agencies who aren't equipped to make much difference? I guess like resource pooling or something?

Another thing I'm wondering, which is pretty much just clinging to a bit of hope, how do these figures on the tolls emerge so fast? I can't even comprehend the chaos and destruction, yet only hours later we were hearing numbers and I guess I hope that they might be overestimates, thought at this stage I suppose the extent of loss is becoming more clear.
God this is awful.

 

[Angela Harlem]

A lot more than just FYMers want to help.

I request that nbc's post be a sticky placed temporarily in each forum so that people who wish to donate can easily and quickly find the necessary information.

I think that's an excellent idea.

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

A lot more than just FYMers want to help.

I request that nbc's post be a sticky placed temporarily in each forum so that people who wish to donate can easily and quickly find the necessary information.

 

[pax]

Please do PM or e-mail Elvis with this suggestion.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

 

[beli]

Jesus.

Beli do Oxfam and the bigger ones get much remedial support then from the smaller agencies who aren't equipped to make much difference? I guess like resource pooling or something?

Another thing I'm wondering, which is pretty much just clinging to a bit of hope, how do these figures on the tolls emerge so fast? I can't even comprehend the chaos and destruction, yet only hours later we were hearing numbers and I guess I hope that they might be overestimates, thought at this stage I suppose the extent of loss is becoming more clear.
God this is awful.

Theres a few different things that happen. Organisations like Oxfam and Red Cross/ Crescent have field officers in place already as they were previously working in the area. Field officers are local people and as such have a cultural undertanding of their own areas, methods of communications, and knowledge of customs eg dont build that well in that spot, thats a 'sacred site' etc.

Some organisations do link together and divide up chores. eg Red Cross may provide tentlands, Oxfam sets about providing clean water and MSF provides medical supplies. Not quite as cut and dried as that but you get the gist of it.

The smaller ones, and the ones that do not normally work in the area and as such do not have field officers can and do assist through the larger organisations. Some of them. Some of them go it alone. Ill pm you angie about it.

As for the numbers, the first priority in disasters is to round up the dead, have them identified as quickly as possible so they can be buried or cremated. This is urgent and important to prevent outbreaks of diseases. So, lining them up, allows them to be counted as well. Theres some estimation also. Depends whos giving the numbers.

 

[Moonlit_Angel]

That's a good idea .

My family went and donated a little money tonight-McDonald's was having a thing where you could donate some money.

Another thing I'm wondering, which is pretty much just clinging to a bit of hope, how do these figures on the tolls emerge so fast?

I was wondering that, too. It seems like every few hours that toll keeps going up. If these are fully accurate reports the news things are giving...holy frick...

Angela

 

[beli]

Numbers are from people running around like madpeople collecting the dead. Seriously. They need to be rounded up and buried /cremated IMMEDIATELY. If not this could become an even bigger tragedy then it already is. Natural disasters are nothing compared with diseases that could rip through these villages in no time flat.

They could be overestimated, and there is usually a roll back at the end, but at this point I would imagine its still conservative estimates and the numbers will increase further.

Plus there will be dead from post disaster diseases. Unfortunate but there will be.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Thanks beli. It is staggering to think of the imediate effects, not just the destruction this has caused, but water and hygiene. The disaster goes beyond the human toll. Its just mammoth.

 

[beli]

Did that make sense? My words are faster then my typing some times. And Im trying hard to not sound clinical about the loved ones lost. Im "talking" in a much more guarded fashion then I would in real life.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Not at all, well i know what you mean anyway. The first 2 urgent things needed in times like this are clean water and the horrible and clinical removal of the deceased. It gets bloody impossible to keep it personal on a scale as huge as this one.
Sadly, but true.

 

[doctorwho]

You make sense Beli.

No one wants to slight the dead. I know I'd be horrified if my family was just tossed in a mass grave. But if there was no alternative (as there is here), and as the lives of so many more are dependent on sanitation, I'd know in my heart it was for the best.

Honoring a person's life is far more powerful than honoring his/her death. Where or how a person is buried shouldn't hold much meaning - but how they lived did. And this is what we must remember.

However, at this time, it is the safety of the survivors that we must worry about. So your words, Beli, relay what is necessary and has to be done.

 

[U2_Muse]

How incredibly tragic.

Thank you to everyone who has posted information and links here.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Yeah, that's where the speed is important. Rebuilding lives/towns etc is obviously important, but the next two weeks are crucial. The death toll from the initial event is expected to go over 100,000. Disease could potentialy double that. Clean water and medical supplies need to get in there.

Very happy to see the Australian Govt added another $25million today on top of the $10million already sent, and that doesn't include what the military is doing to help at the moment (airlifts, supplies etc).

 

[beli]

My wish list of positive things to come out of this disaster:

* an investigation into the financial feasibility of disaster warning systems in the area
* an intergrated approach to disaster management including emergency contact phone numbers for neighbouring countries
* a greater international understanding of the geography and peoples in the region.


Probably somemore things too, Im still pondering. .......

 

[beli]

Tsunami Kills People in Sri Lanka, But Not Animals

As Sri Lanka’s human death toll surged, wildlife officials expressed surprise today that they found no evidence of large-scale deaths among animals from the weekend’s massive tsunami.

This is very interesting. I am finding bodies of humans, but I have yet to see a dead animal,” said Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne, whose Jetwing Eco Holidays runs a hotel in the Yala National Park.

The huge waves washed floodwaters inland into Yala, Sri Lanka’s largest wildlife reserve, but the animals apparently were not harmed and may have sought high ground, Wijeyeratne said.

“Maybe what we think is true, that animals have a sixth sense,” Wijeyeratne said.

The park is home to 200 elephants, leopards, wild boar and other rare animals.

I find this quite interesting. I think animals do have a sixth sense about this sort of thing. I have been in many cyclones, willy willys, flash floods, plagues, etc and noticed that animals disappear. As a child I gave up looking for my cats before a cyclone hit as by the time the emergency sirens started travelling my cats were well and truely hidden.

Smart creatures they are, the other animals.

 

[foray]

i'm very upset. i feel helpless and far away from home.

foray