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CHINA –TIBET EARTHQUAKE RELIEF
 On Wednesday, April 14th, a massive earthquake struck the Qinghai province of China [formerly known as Kham in pre-occupied Tibet], affecting some 280,000 people, of which 97 percent are Tibetans. As of April 21st, the death toll had reached 2,183, with thousands injured and hundreds missing and/or displaced from their homes. The epicenter was located in an area known as Yushu, which has an elevation of over 4000 meters, or 2.5 miles. Logistics for relief workers are complicated by freezing temperatures, and a combination of snow and congested traffic on damaged mountain roads.
Those contributing to the relief efforts include local Han Chinese and Tibetan volunteers, international relief organizations, Tibetan Buddhist monks, Chinese government officials and some military units. These groups are working tirelessly to dig out survivors and distribute aid in Yushu, the province capitol and the countryside. On a foothill under the main monastery of Jiegu Township, monks chanted Tibetan Buddhist mantras in front of piles of dead, Reuters news agency said. "There are people in here, we have got to find them," one monk in Jiegu told the AFP news agency. Some helped residents look for relatives among what appeared to be hundreds of bodies on a covered platform, the agency said. "I'd say we've collected a thousand or more bodies here," said Lopu, a monk. "Some we found ourselves, some were sent to us." Another monk told the AFP news agency he had come from the Ganzi region of neighboring Sichuan province to set up a food station. "Around 28 monasteries have sent people to help. We will be bringing in more and more supplies later today," he said. 
BBC reports that heavy-lifting equipment has been brought in by road from hundreds of kilometers away and food, tents and medical supplies are arriving too. One doctor said he had lost track of how many people they had treated. "They just keep coming one after the other," said Myima Jiaba, working at a makeshift hospital in Jiegu. "Right now, what we need is a lot of medicine. We need antiseptics and antibiotics. And overall, we need more tents and food, and sanitation."
Asia America Initiative has identified three key NGO’s who are crucial to the rescue effort: AmeriCares, Machik and the Tibet Foundation. These organizations are on site doing the best they can with minimal resources. Given the remoteness of the area, it is best to send donations of any size through these organizations’ web sites. In turn, they will be fully accountable for buying supplies near the affected Qinghai area. Americares is in the process of setting up mobile hospitals, in addition to giving out necessities such as blankets, water, heat and kits for basic hygiene. Please go to www.Americares.org or donate HERE. Machik is a U.S.-based NGO with direct ties to Tibetans on the ground, and is working to channel funds to the relief efforts. To learn more, click HERE, or click HERE to donate The Tibet Foundation has created a “Yushu Earthquake Relief Fund”, which has pooled together local NGO’s in the region to maximize resources and ideas. Find out more HERE , or donate HERE. You can make a difference by donating to any of these three organizations. AAI has complete trust that all donations given to these organizations will go directly to aiding the survival and eventual rehabilitation of countless Tibetans. Together we can create a better tomorrow for our fellow citizens of the Earth. |