Plan USA leads Asia Tsunami Relief

[Guest guest]

[NOTE: DEVI is the essence of compassion and love. Let us aspire to

HER great qualities in responding to the recent Tsunami disaster in

South and Southeast Asia. According to the latest figures I've

heard, the death toll is now hovering around 40,000 people. The

number of people who are severely injured, widowed, orphaned, or

rendered homeless, jobless, or possessionless is incalculably

larger.

 

For Shakti Sadhana members in the United States and Canada who want

to help (and I hope there are many of you!), I would recommend PLAN

USA as probably the single most reliable and efficient relief agency

for denations. It has longstanding relationships with relief

agencies in all the countries affected, and is well-known for making

sure that all donations get to the people who need them, rather than

disappearing in administrative fees, etc. Here is PLAN's press

release on its current focus (LINK TO WEBSITE BELOW). - DB]

 

December 27, 2004:

 

RELIEF EFFORTS UNDERWAY

Plan will implement a major disaster response effort in Sri Lanka,

in Hambantota, and possibly in other areas of the country. Plan

India and Plan Indonesia will continue to monitor the situation

closely, to see how Plan may best respond. Plan Thailand is not

likely to be required to respond to the disaster at this time.

 

SRI LANKA

There has been great devastation and loss of thousands of lives

along the western, southern and south western coasts of Sri Lanka.

One of the worst affected Plan districts is Hambantota.

 

The main road to and through the South runs beside the beach and is

blocked and damaged in places. Telecommunications have not yet been

restored with Hambantota.

 

Accurate estimates of the scale of the death, injury and destruction

are not yet available, but are expected to be very high. There is no

information yet on the situation of Plan sponsored families and

their communities. Plan USA will contact sponsors as soon as we have

more information.

 

Staff are trying to get through to Hambantota to assess the

situation. Plan Sri Lanka staff responded fast to the news of the

disaster, and staff left for Hambantota to assess the situation on

ground. Because of the lack of telecommunications there is still no

news from them.

 

Plan Sri Lanka is a permanent member of the National Disaster

Coordinating Committee, and also of the local emergency committee in

Hambantota.

 

INDIA

Plan India has verified that Plan assisted communities and sponsored

families have thankfully not been hit by the disaster. Plan India

Country Office is monitoring the situation carefully to see if Plan

can support disaster response through partners and local government.

 

INDONESIA

There are reports of severe loss of life and damage in Aceh, in the

north of Sumatra. This is very far from the areas where Plan

Indonesia works, and Plan supported communities and sponsored

families have not been not affected. The Plan Indonesia Country

Office is monitoring the situation to see if Plan can support

disaster response through partner agencies.

 

THAILAND

There has been serious loss of life and damage on the tourist resort

islands of Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi, on Thailand's west coast. This

area is very far from the areas where Plan Thailand works, and Plan

supported communities and sponsored families have not been affected.

The Government of Thailand has the resources and organizational

capacity to respond to this disaster and is not appealing for

foreign aid.

 

BANGLADESH

Bangladesh escaped the worst effects of the tsunamis, and a disaster

response is not required.

 

December 26, 2004

Asia was rocked by a devastating Tsunami off the west coast of

Sumatra, Indonesia on Sunday, leaving more than 13,000 dead.

 

The Tsunami, and its corresponding havoc, hit several Plan countries:

 

Indonesia

India

Thailand

Sri Lanka

According to The New York Times, Indonesia reported nearly 4,500

dead, most in the Banda Aceh area of Sumatra, a region that has been

the site of a continuing civil war. In Sri Lanka, at least 4,500

were dead. In India, an estimated 3,200 died, with at least 1,700

confirmed dead in Tamil Nadu, the southern state that is home to

this coastal city of Madras, officially known as Chennai.

 

A Tsunami is an undersea earthquake causing enormous tidal waves.

The waves of this Tsunami crashed into the coast, causing massive

destruction.

 

As of Sunday evening, Plan staff have been unable to report whether

communities have been affected. With communications nearly

completely wiped out in many areas and chaos erupting across the

continent, it may be some time before Plan has an accurate

accounting of the impact of the disaster.

 

We appreciate your patience during this trying time. Please return

to our website regularly for updates.

 

http://www.planusa.org/contentmgr/showdetails.php/id/1859