Global community rushes to aid Japan after tragic earthquake and tsunami

I think we all know of the wonderful difference that charity and nonprofits can make at times of great crisis. Over the last few days as I’ve watched the terrible events in Japan its certainly unlike anything we’ve seen before although part of that is due to our modern society and media allowing us to see the devastation and feel the impact of the disaster through our own televisions or computers even within hours of it happening. I can’t recall ever seeing anything that made me feel so helpless against the forces of nature, so much of the tragic tsunami of 2004 was less ‘visible’ to us who were far away but the impact was simply dreadful with more than 220,000 lives lost in the regions around the Indian Ocean at that time.

Again, like you, I remember this feeling only too well when on January 11 last year a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti and caused so much devastation. The public response from around the globe to what happened in in Haiti was overwhelmingly positive, yet 14 months to the day what looks like being a larger disaster with the added destruction from the massive tsunami is unfolding in northeastern Japan. While I know many people have financial struggles and might not be able to help I think it’s important that the very idea of a global community comes together to help out in any way they can for the people of Japan at this difficult time. Even a few dollars can provide bottled drinking water to those who can’t currently access any.

Even while the world is still recoiling at the images of destruction we’ve all been watching, countries from around the world are sending in international specialists in disaster recovery to try and help stabilize the situation to any extent that they can. Though Japan is an economic power the resources of other nations will be gratefully appreciated to help the country in its recovery and cleanup. Even as I write being it strikes me that being an economic power isn’t helping those who lost their homes and are without water or food or electricity in many parts of the coastal regions impacted by the huge earthquake last Friday. International aid organizations sprung into action immediately and much like Haiti it will be a global effort to ensure that the help and funding is best administered in parts of the country that has been worst affected. The United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs announced that more than 70 nations have already offered key assistance to Japan in terms of medical support, equipment and supplies plus of course as we’ve seen with other tragic events rescue workers had been flying in to Tokyo from around the globe over these last four days.

While I’m not about to suggest which international fundraising organization you should support at this time I hope you’ll be able to consider giving a small amount to the charity of your choice who in turn are associated with an organization trying to provide relief to the citizens of Japan at this time. Any help you can give is a great gesture, I found this list from the Huffington Post that was published on Sunday has some information about some organizations doing great work at this dreadful time. Thanks for letting me ramble on this evening.

Sobering statistics tonight from the Red Cross in Japan:

– 2,000 people confirmed dead

– 10,000 more people expected to be confirmed dead

– 2,000 people injured

– 530,000 people displaced, staying in 2,500 evacuation centres, such as schools and public halls

– 24,000 people still completely isolated and cannot be reached

– 1.2 million homes without power

– 1.4 million homes without water

– 4,700 destroyed houses

– 50,000 damaged houses

– 582 roads cut off

– 32 bridges destroyed

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