Earthquake and powerful tidal waves kill thousands in Southeastern Asia.

[Primrose]

Greedy banks cave in

Banks and credit card companies today agreed to repay up to £300,000 in profits they have made from the tsunami appeal.

They bowed to pressure after charities accused them of cashing in on public sympathy for victims of the Asian disaster.

The windfall arose because financial institutions charge a fee of up to three per cent on charity donations made by credit card on the phone or internet.

While the industry agreed last week to waive its fees for donations to the main Disasters Emergency Committee collection, it continued to charge individual charities, including Oxfam and the British Red Cross.

Today's climbdown follows urgent talks this morning between banking chiefs and the main aid agencies. Apacs, the industry body representing credit card providers, said: "The charges will be waived."


http://www.thisislondon.com/news/art...0Standard&ct=5


Stop Sending us Money, French Aid Group Says


PARIS (Reuters) - The medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors without Borders) urged donors Tuesday to stop sending it money for Asian tsunami victims, saying it had collected enough funds to manage its relief effort there.


In an unusual step, the group's branches in France and Germany said they had 40 million and $27 million respectively, enough to finance emergency medical aid projects they were supporting in Sri Lanka and Indonesia.


Their decision surprised other aid groups and drew criticism that it could undercut an unprecedented wave of private giving to provide relief to the region devastated by the Dec. 26 tsunami which has killed at least 150,000 people.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp..._suspension_dc

[Cochise]

Sorry to say Darlings.....from an obviously old and jaded Cochise.....all those Millions will be stowed away somewhere, whilst some faceless Controller of all this money will ponder over who should receive whatever, until, as time passes, very little of this money goes anywhere in particular, until the actual purpose of the whole thing is forgotten......You may have noticed that Ethiopia and the Sudan crisis has now gone from the News....so what is happening to the money collected for that disaster?...........Money isn't always the answer.......the real answer is action......I see now that all the Powers are talking about suspending the national Debt of some of these Countries....well if the truths known, non of this Debt has been incurred to help the People of these Countries....it's just been used to increase the Armies to subdue the people for nothing more than gain.........be not fooled by this cry for help.........there are a lot of people who will become very rich indeed from your Goodwill.......Read between the lines.........Sorry if this causes any offence.........



Cochise,

[snowbound]

I have been to SE Asia many times and seen the horrors of child exploitation there.

Sadly, iam not at all surprised, to hear stories of kidnappings and random snatching of defenceless children, trapped or displaced by this disaster.

These scumbags will sink to any depths,

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/T...642681,00.html

Thailand, which has a huge problem with this, must act now!

It is no surprise to me as in most of SE Asian countries, WTBW.........

Words cannot describe my fury.



snowbound

[gerardwil]

People in our country donated last night during a tv-show at least € 112 million (that's a lot for such a small country with 16 million people only). I hope this will be used to help the people who really need it and nothing disappears in pockets of people who have enough already.

Gerard

[BeetleBoss]

Not sure if this has been posted before.......
This link has some pretty devistating before and after pictures. It shows you a picture and then you click on the after shot of the exact same place. There's a bunch of pictures.

Quote from Dad.....These photos are before and after shots of the tsunami from the air depicting the vast damage to those countries. Toggle before and after pictures, then hit next to see the next set

http://homepage.mac.com/demark/tsunami/5.html

[Down_Under]

Article from SMH

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Asia-Tsun...110882305.html

The unofficial death toll from the tsunami hit more than 226,000 yesterday after Indonesia increased its toll to 166,320, adding about 70,000 people previously listed as missing.

The various government agencies' lists of dead now include more than 38,000 dead in Sri Lanka, more than 5300 dead in Thailand and 16,383 deaths in India. There have been 137 deaths recorded in East Africa, 74 killed in each of the Maldives and Malaysia, 59 dead in Burma and two in Bangladesh.

On Tuesday the United Nations listed the number of dead in Indonesia at 165,493. The Indonesian foreign ministry said 92,721 bodies have been buried so far in Aceh, including 1408 yesterday alone.

But there was confusion over the new Indonesian figures with that country's social affairs ministry still putting the toll at 114,978 with about 24,000 missing, according to the Associated Press.

A spokesman for Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Dino Djalal, was unable to clear up the confusion. "To be honest we don't have a set number, and we don't think we will ever know the exact tally".

About 3500 bodies were being collected each day in Indonesia.

There has also been confusion over the death toll in Sri Lanka, where the Public Security Ministry has counted 38,195 deaths, 7275 more than the National Disaster Management Centre.

Indonesia's health ministry said 617,159 people were still homeless in northern Sumatra, as aid workers warned that more must be done to get food to remote areas. In Malaysia, the chief of the US Pacific Command, Admiral Thomas Fargo, said American forces could wind down their relief efforts in the next month.

Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse

[nadirah]

Links for donations...

Donations

• Google News coverage • Action Against Hunger • ReliefWeb • American Red Cross (via Amazon) • Aid groups (via CNN) • American Jewish World Service • Relief organizations (via USAID) • AmeriCares • Tsunami help blog • Asia Foundation • Wikipedia • BAPS Care International • CARE • Direct Relief International • GOAL • Habitat for Humanity International • International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent • Islamic Relief Worldwide • Karuna Trust • Network for Good • Oxfam International (US page) • Quarters From Kids: Tsunami Relief and Rebuilding • Sarvodaya • Save the Children • UNICEF (US page) (via Paypal) • World Food Programme (UN) • World Vision

[solarpowered candle]

A couple of interesting articles . The first is about Tsunami survivors found on island http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4230821.stm

The second about the Trauma risk for tsunami survivors http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asi...ic/4229233.stm

[Marja]

It is true that most of the world has a tendency to "throw" money at a disaster or problem, but, while you are sending money - send your prayers and good thoughts.

Sending thoughts of Strength, Courage, Health, Fortitude and Patience, along with your donation has an energy of it's own. If you believe in Prayer, that's energy, send it!

If the money doesn't get where it should, the Power of your Prayer or Good Wishes WILL go where you want them. All the people who sent money are and were doing it to help, to give strength, to show they care - those feelings can't be "kept" back or hoarded - so, even if you don't send money, send those people the Prayers they are going to need to make it through this time in their life, it will be spent where and how it is needed.

So, maybe, we can't BE there, maybe we can't control the MONEY or the corrupt people - we CAN send our Thoughts, Prayers, Good Wishes to Where and How they will Help and Heal.

You don't even have to believe, it's already been proven, Thoughts Are Energy - so, Send Your Energy!

Let the officials find a bank for that!!

[wildman]

Just curious, and please do not jump all over me, but just exactly how much have the other so called Muslim countries contributed? It appears as if the Western world are the ones who have once again come to the rescue. I don't know if any one saw it or not, but there was an individual warning a T-shirt with the picture of Osama on it, hate to say it but this is one individual whom I do not care to aid.

Thanks
wildman

[nadirah]

Originally Posted by wildman

Just curious, and please do not jump all over me, but just exactly how much have the other so called Muslim countries contributed? It appears as if the Western world are the ones who have once again come to the rescue. I don't know if any one saw it or not, but there was an individual warning a T-shirt with the picture of Osama on it, hate to say it but this is one individual whom I do not care to aid.

Thanks
wildman

Well wildman, it is my hope that we better not discuss anything about the Muslims, Osama Bin Laden or anything related to religious things. This thread is for all news about the tsunami disaster only. Please do not make any comments about the clothes different people are wearing.
Regarding that individual wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Osama on it, well, you must be thinking: Hey, this guy is wearing a t-shirt with a picture of Osama! This guy must be a terrorist or one of Osama's loyal sypporters! Better not aid him at all and don't care about him!

Who knows, that guy wearing the t-shirt with Osama's picture on it might not be a bad guy, he might not even be supporting Osama at all.
But, it is very difficult to tell if he's a just a innocent poor little guy wearing a t-shirt with Osama's picture on it, or if he's a terrorist and a loyal supporter of Osama. Yes I myself do think that this guy might be a little suspicious, but perhaps he's just one of those innocent tsunami survivors wandering about. I do not know if this individual is a good or bad guy.

Wildman, whether you want to aid this individual or not, the choice is yours.
Besides, what's so big about that t-shirt with Osama's picture on it?
That t-shirt might be just part of the individual's usual outfits.

[wildman]

Nadirah: My young friend, I do not condemn any religion. Just found it remarkable that the other Muslim countries have not provided more for their Muslim brothers. The individual with the Osama t-shirt is an affront to quiet a few people and does not invoke a desire to want and aid him. This is no reflection on the countless others who are in need and deserving of our aid however.

Please forgive the spelling errors, but I am vision impaired. I do try an edit my posts, but mistakes are bound to get through now and then.

Thanks
wildman

[nadirah]

Originally Posted by wildman

Nadirah: My young friend, I do not condemn any religion. Just found it remarkable that the other Muslim countries have not provided more for their Muslim brothers. The individual with the Osama t-shirt is an affront to quiet a few people and does not invoke a desire to want and aid him. This is no reflection on the countless others who are in need and deserving of our aid however.

Thanks
wildman

That Osama t-shirt must be frightening everybody away! No wonder nobody wants to aid that individual.
That Osama t-shirt really gives people the wrong idea. Time for that individual to start changing his clothes.

[wildman]

Originally Posted by nadirah

That Osama t-shirt must be frightening everybody away! No wonder nobody wants to aid that individual.
That Osama t-shirt really gives people the wrong idea. Time for that individual to start changing his clothes.

I don't know about frightening, but it sure ticks me off. He needs to burn that shirt and obtain a better wardrobe if possible. How the heck did he get that shirt to begin with? I don't know, but I suspect he is not one of the good guys.

Thanks
wildman

[snowbound]

There will be no discussion here on why certain countries are helping or not. Also, anything religious in nature. Please, let's focus on the true nature of the thread, which is to keep people informed on this horrifying disaster and helping where we can.....

No offense intended.


snowbound

[snowbound]

A Royal Navy 3 dimensional computer generated graphic released February 9, 2005 shows the seabed in the vicinity of the recent devastating tsunami earthquake epicentre in South Asia

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/050209/325/fc4nl.html





snowbound

[Down_Under]

Latest death toll

Indonesia: 232,732

Sri Lanka: 30,957

India: 16,389

Thailand: 5,393

Maldives: 82

Malaysia: 68

Myanmar: 61

Bangladesh: 2

Somalia: 298

Tanzania: 10

Kenya: 1

Total: 285,993

[Marja]

Those huge rents in the earth have to have some kind of reprecussions, don't they?

The toll is likely to keep rising, unfortunately, especially while they are trying to clear up the land for the living. Very sad.

[gerardwil]

No words needed.

http://www.worldpressphoto.nl/index....bandwidth=high

[snowbound]

Pictures show final moments of couple killed in tsunami,

http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/natio...ics050223.html


Quoted form the article,

"I just picture my parents hugging each other and knowing it would happen and taking pictures. Just in case someone found the camera and it did survive, they'd have something to see.".

This was the last picture taken by the couple,



snowbound

[nadirah]

Originally Posted by snowbound

By CHRISTOPHER BODEEN, Associated Press Writer

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia - The first images of the seabed that was rocked by the earthquake that triggered Asia's catastrophic tsunami revealed huge ruptures spanning several miles along the Indian Ocean's floor.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...lon10102100810


snowbound

Snow, you may need to fix the link in your post. The page says that the news may have expired and could not be found.

[snowbound]

Originally Posted by nadirah

Snow, you may need to fix the link in your post. The page says that the news may have expired and could not be found.

Done.

Updated the link.



snowbound

[snowbound]

A shocking revelation just know being realized,

http://www.islam-online.net/English/...rticle04.shtml

It has been reported that in the worst hit areas, 4 times more women died then men. They are also facing terrible sexual abuse in the camps, as many have no male relatives left alive to protect them.


snowbound

[mercurie]

Snowbound,
I must be under the misunderstanding that international military assistance is either not there to prevent widespread issues like this or is very understaffed to the point of being ineffective. The evil of some of my sex is beyond words

[BeetleBoss]

That is so sad.....it just breaks my heart