I've added a link to the right for donations through Amazon.com to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. As of this post, the total collected is $936,050.26. That's a lot, but it's not nearly enough. This disaster is so widespread, so devastating, that it will take years for some areas to recover. The need isn't going to go away after the victims get a change of clothes and a meal or two.
UPDATE: 5:50 am CST - $1,005,479.99
UPDATE: 12/30/2004 - 4:10 pm CST - $5,765,220.75
UPDATE: 12/31/2004 - 7:00 pm CST - $10,009,722.00
Details from American Red Cross:
At least 50,000 people have lost their lives in East Africa and South Asia in the aftermath of the earthquake and resulting tsunamis on December 26. Thousands in Sri Lanka, India, Somalia, Sumatra, Thailand, and Indonesia are still missing; many others have lost their homes and livelihoods. Sri Lankan and Indian coastal regions were the hardest hit, with over 20,000 people killed, but Indonesia, Seychelles, Maldives, and Thailand were all affected by the tsunami waves, which reached as high as 20 feet. Aid workers and volunteers are focused on stopping the spread of disease and delivering food and drinking water to survivors. The American Red Cross reports that emergency assessment and first-aid teams were on the ground quickly and are already working with local groups to support relief efforts. Your financial donation will help provide medicine, clothing, food, and shelter for victims of the East Africa and South Asia earthquake and tsunami disaster. Thanks in advance for your participation during this critical time.The American Red Cross name is used with its permission. For more information about the American Red Cross, please call 1‑800 HELP NOW or email info@usa.redcross.org.
