Sichuan Earthquake Relief
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On May 12th, 2008, China’s Sichuan Province was forced to experience the devastating effects of worst quake the country has witnessed in over thirty years, one that ranked a stunning 7.9 on the Richter scale. Leaving thousands homeless, injured, killed, or confined beneath tons of wreckage, the natural disaster effortlessly overwhelmed local response, heralding the need for national and international support to ameliorate the current conditions. Fortunately, this calamity made headlines with remarkable celerity, enabling it to swiftly become the focus of sympathetic attention around the globe. As with any disaster situation, the need for humanitarian aid is of cardinal importance, and numerous non-governmental organizations have responded to this end following China’s request for international assistance. The Government of China has spearheaded the relief effort, providing its displaced people with thousands of tents, articles of clothing, blankets, and over 300,000 tons of food. USAID/OFDA (U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance) has donated specialized equipment useful for search, rescue, and recovery of missing persons and has also deployed trained personnel to guide local officials on proper equipment use. In addition, contributions from other nations and the private sector are estimated to total two billions dollars.
One has to remember that a catastrophe of such magnitude brings along a myriad of primary objectives to fulfill, including the provision of adequate food, clean drinking water, clothing, shelter, as well as medical and physiological assistance, and protection of civilians from hazards. With such a laundry list of commitments, the contributions thus far hardly seem adequate to meet all the stated demands. For example, the Chinese government had requested 3.3 million tents to accommodate all those adversely affected, but has only received approximately 400,000 to date.
As responsible and caring citizens of this country, it is our duty to help those in need. You can help the victims of the China Earthquake via monetary donations, and all proceedings go directly to the American Red Cross to fund their ongoing efforts. Use the interactive “Donate” button to make a fast and easy donation to our cause. Although the road to recovery may be long for China, your help can make this journey one step shorter.
-Vish Sridharan
Sources:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24573168/
http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia/countries/china/earthquake/
10 responses so far ↓
1
jeff
// May 31, 2008 at 10:32 pm
What a catastrophe… It’s hard to believe that so many children have died from this disaster. This truly calls for immediate action!
2
tjmedicalsociety
// May 31, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Nice job with the blog. Good information, too. Is there a source on those? Also, how much money have you raised thus far for earthquake relief? I understand you guys are doing a good job thus far. Thanks for doing this!
3
Jungeun Choi
// May 31, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Horrible, devastating earthquakes…I’ll pray for the chinese citizens every night…
And although I cannot donate online, I’ll donate whenever I see a donation stand, or if there is a fundraiser of any sort relating to this devastation.
Everyone else should do this too.
4
Emily
// May 31, 2008 at 10:48 pm
so sad…
:(
we’re raising money to help! don’t forget to pray for them and help all you can!
5
Will
// May 31, 2008 at 10:53 pm
The magnitude of this catastrophe in this article is greatly understated. This earthquake has been more devastating than even Katrina in terms of the number of people that need to be relocated and even death tolls. If we remember how bad Katrina, and the tragicness of that incident, certainly we can get a better view of how truly, truly, horrible this is… what’s worse… the Sichuan Province is located in a region of China surrounded by mountains, thus making it almost IMPOSSIBLY difficult to send in supplies and help. There is an old saying in Chinese that goes… “Heaven is hard to reach. But Sichuan is harder.”
I feel absolutely horrible for the victims there, and it really is hard to imagine the pain and suffering of these poor refugees since we are not there. Our family has donated over 300 dollars and will certainly continue to aid in the effort as much as we can. The search for survivors has now ended… but we can still help the homeless… as the article said the country needs over 3.3 million tents, and we need to help. I am touched personally that at least some people in our community have the compassion to write out in plea for this cause. The fact is that there is not enough Industrial power in China to produce that many tents that quickly… but donations will Always help.
The scale of this whole thing is just… mind boggling… over 5 million people displaced… maybe up to 10 million… that’s more than 5 times the population of Fairfax County, and about the population of Virginia as a whole. All the people in Virginia… needing tents… needing aid.
6
2010red
// May 31, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Wow Will, I never thought of it that way. Numbers don’t mean anything until you put it into perspective. I’m pretty sure the US government would have spent billions if a entire state was left homeless.
7
Justin
// May 31, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I am outraged that there has been a public figure (the name of this female actress currently escapes me) who has had the audacity to suggest that this earthquake might have been a result of karma for Chinese treatment of Tibet. While personally, I am a supporter of Tibet’s humanitarian rights, the notion that a natural disaster of such magnitude and toll is a result of some kind of moral backlash is simply ridiculous. I deeply ashamed when figures with such an immense public profile and influence abuse that privilege and pollute their name with such statements.
8
ehoo
// May 31, 2008 at 11:17 pm
yeah, Sharon Stone.
9
Risa
// May 31, 2008 at 11:40 pm
For people who can’t really donate online and lives in the DC area: three amazing student pianists are having a piano concert to raise money for the earthquake relief. It’s on Sunday, June 22nd, 3-5 PM at the National Presbyterian Church (4101 Nebraska Ave Northwest, Washington D.C.)The concert itself is free but donations are always welcome.
So I don’t really have their permission to spread the word around, but I’m sure that they would want as many people as possible there!
10
swetha
// Jun 1, 2008 at 6:54 pm
It’s really sad to think about how the lives of these victims have been changed forever. The facts and the statistics themselves are alarming enough, but what is more heartwrenching, to me, are the personal stories of each of the victims. =(
I don’t know if anyone’s read it, but recently there was an article in the Washington Post about a middle-aged man who was desperately trying to locate his lost daughter. They were a poor family and they invested almost all of their money in their daughter’s education and well-being. And now, she’s nowhere to be found…I can’t even imagine what the father must be going through…
The article went on to describe how parents were frantically searching through rubble trying to recognize their children by their toys and stuffed animals. Its absolutely terrible…
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