Tsunami Relief Groups

[howeird]

I served in the Peace Corps in Thailand during 1975-77, the last year was spent in the south, and my job took me to Phuket (prounced "poo-ket" with an accent on the final syllable) one week every month. My first week was spent on Batong beach, which was hit very hard by the tidal wave. Back in '77 there were no big resort hotels, and the wave would have wiped out a few bamboo bungalows.

Times have changed. Apparently people drowned in their hotel rooms. Tourism is the main industry on the island, and employs thousands of Thai workers.

A tsunami alert system would probably not have helped - there was only about an hour between the time the earthquake hit and the tsunami reaching Batong Beach. Phuket just does not have the resources to shift that many people that quickly. Neither does San Francisco, come to think of it.

And I'm sure it's even worse in Sri Lanka and India, which do not have the kind of infrastructure a wel--established tourist place like Phuket has.

Nobody expects a tidal wave.

Update: Phuket.com's Hotel Status Page lists which hotels are open, closed, partially functioning.

I'm posting this list of aid agencies, for those who wish to help.


From: Carolyn Nickels <carolynnickels@earthlink.net>
To: Friends of Thailand


Dear Friend of Thailand,


There is not a lot to say. Though many of you may already have this
information, following is a partial list of organizations involved with
relief efforts resulting from Sunday's catastrophe in South and Southeast
Asia. Toll-free numbers and/or web sites where donations can be made are
included.



Action Against Hunger
www.aah-usa.org


America Jewish World Service
NY, NY
800.889.7146
www.ajws.org


American Friends Service Committee
Philadelphia, PA
www.afsc,org


Catholic Relief Services
Baltimore, MD
800.736.3467
www.catholicrelief.org


Direct Relief International
Santa Barbara, CA
www.directrelief.org


Doctors Without Borders
NY, NY
888.392.0392
www.doctorswithoutborders.org


International Medical Corps
Santa Monica, CA
800.481.4462
www.imcworldwide.org


International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Geneva, Switzerland
www.ifrc.org


International Orthodox Christian Charities
Baltimore, MD
www.iocc.org


Lutheran World Relief
Baltimore, MD
800.597.5972
www.lwr.org


MAP International
Brunswick, GA
800.225.8550
www.map.org


Mercy Corps
Portland, OR
800.852.2100
www.mercycorps.org


Northwest Medical Teams
Portland, OR
www.nwmedicalteams.org


Operation USA
Los Angeles, CA
800.678.7255
www.opusa.org


Relief International
Los Angeles, CA
800.572.3332
www.ri.org


Save the Children Asia Earthquake/Tidal Wave Relief Fund
Westport, CT
800.728.3843
www.savethechildren.org


Tamil Rehabilitation Organization
Cumberland, MD
www.trousa.org


US Fund for UNICEF
NY, NY
800.367.5437
www.unicefusa.org


World Concern
Seattle, WA
800.755.5022
www.worldconcern.org


World Relief
Baltimore, MD
www.wr.org


World Vision
Tacoma, WA
888.562.4453
www.worldvision.org

Comments

[scendan.livejournal.com]

Thank you very very much for posting this. I'm still awaiting word from our local Hindu Temple, which I fear is overwhelmed by what's going on. I'm going to hold on a bit more, and then if I don't hear back, I'm organizing our office to donate to one of your listed agencies.

Wow...how eerie it must feel for you, to have memories of these places in which this has happened.