Tsunami- Scope & Donations

I don't know about you, but my friends and I are grappling to comprehend the scope of this disaster, and how to help. Here's what I found helpful...


___INTERACTIVE MAP, SLIDESHOWS, VIDEOS
(Canadian News Source)

http://www.cbc.ca/news
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/asia_earthquake/cbcairgid/cbcnews_dia.swf


___STORIES

Diver saw tsunami forming underwater, By Akiko Tada
http://202.186.86.35/news/story.asp?file=/2004/12/29/nation/9766851&sec=nation

Prayers Replace Parties to Mark 2004's End, PARIS (AP)
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WORLD_NEW_YEAR?SITE=MYPSP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT


___LEGITIMATE CHARITIES
(San Francisco Cronicle newspaper, Dec 31)

Money and volunteers with special disaster related skills (such as medical and engineering/reconstruction) are most needed.

The American Institute of Philanthropy (charity watchdog) lists the top rated charities to be : American Red Cross, Lutheran World Relief, Christian Children's Fund, Doctors without Borders. To donate to these and other legitamate organizations see...

www.charitywatch.org
www.give.org/news/tsunami.asp
www.doctorswithoutborders.org


___SCOPE OF DISASTER

(San Francisco Cronicle newspaper, Dec 31)

Todays official death count 119,000 in 11 countries in SE Asia and Africa.

At least 5000 foreign tourists are missing and presumed dead.

The 9.0 earthquake's force was equal to 32 billion tons of TNT, or 2 million nuclear bombs the size of the one that destroyed Hiroshima

The waves travelled at nearly 500mph, roughly the speed of a passenger airliner

Some of the waves that hit Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and elsewhere were up to 50 ft high (equivalent to a 5 story building), and packed a force of severla tons/sq. ft.

Tsunami waves still held force 7 1/2 hrs later and reached Africa.

The hardest hit region (near the earthquakes epicenter) was Sumatra Indonesia. Floodwaters surged as far inland as 2 miles. In Sri Lanka, the wave came inland beween a few hundred yuards and 1/2 mile.

Thursday's 117,000 deathtoll is roughly equal to the combined fans attending Rose Bowl, Madison Square Garden, and a 5,ooo seat college basebal stadium.

Roughly 5 million people are homeless or displaced from the quake. That's equal to displacing everyone combined in the greater metro areas of Atlanta, Augusta and Savannah, Georgia USA.

5 million people are suseptable to disease because of lack of clean water, food, and santiary conditions. That's equal to everyone in Washinton, DC and it's Virginia suburbs. Many of these people have not received outside help, or eaten, in the last 4 days.

Significan drinking water sources have been contaminated by salt water, debris, and/or decomposing bodies.

The $35 million aid offerred by Bush is equivalent to what the USA spends in 7 hrs on military operations in Iraq (according to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt). This second offer, came 2 days after the initial offer of $15 million. This is the smallest percentage of any nations GNP.

What some other countries are donating:
Spain $68 million
Sweden $78 million
France $57 million