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Update on Recent Disasters in East Asia: How to Help

May 20, 2008, 4:47PM MT

By Elizabeth Doyle

Myanmar (Burma):

A number of international animal organizations have been working energetically to try to gain access to help the animals in the massive flooding following the cyclone in Myanmar. These include WSPA, HSI, and IFAW. Wildlife Friends of Thailand and Best Friends are ready to help in Myanmar if/when visas can be obtained to enter the country.

There is very little food and essentially no clean water for either people or animals in the affected areas. Much of the Irrawaddy River Delta, where the cyclone struck, is still under water.

Among animals in need of help are millions of cattle and buffalo. As was the case following the Tsunami, for example in the Andaman Islands, when huge volumes of salt water have washed over land, the salt destroys the ground. The rice paddies are destroyed, as well as any grass or hay that could provide food.

The effort by relief organizations to get help to both people and animals is ongoing.

China:

The 7.9 earthquake that struck in the Sichuan Province on Monday, May 12, may have killed as many as 50,000 people, with many thousands, including many schoolchildren, still trapped under buildings that crews are frantically trying to reach.

The Wolong National Nature Reserve has reported that all 86 of the pandas living there are safe and unharmed. This breeding center for pandas is in a mountainous area in Sichuan province, where roads had been closed off by the earthquake, so the fate of the pandas was unknown for some time. Among the pandas, the thirteen cubs are also fine. 60 other pandas in the region are also reported to be okay.

The Animals Asia Foundation sanctuary for rescued bears from bear bile farms, located in the city of Chengdu, not far from the epicenter of the earthquake, has sustained significant damage to their buildings. However, all the bears and all the staff are safe and unharmed.

If you'd like to help

Animals Asia has been assessing the situation of animals in the earthquake zone and Christie Yang, their China Relations Director, has been in touch with animal welfare groups and shelters in the region to find out what their needs are and to provide help.

Animals Asia Founder Jill Robinson, with a vet team, will be heading to Dujiangyiang, one of the most hard hit areas, to help the animals there.

To read more about the animal situation following the China eathquake, please go to
http://www.animalsasia.org/blog/

To donate earthquake relief for animals in China, please go to
http://www.animalsasia.org/

Best Friends will let you know as soon as we have information on how to help in Myanmar.

Comments

Posted January 02, 2009, 5:32AM by Phillip_E

Almost all country are experiencing natural disater. The economy has clearly taken a toll on many people, especially on their finances. The last thing anyone would want to do is to take out a payday loan, their emergency resource, to fix drywall. Unfortunately, it looks like the people of Charleston, South Carolina may not have a choice. A 3.6 magnitude earthquake shook the place last week, leaving residents financial grief to cope with. Luckily, the only thing hurt by the small quake was the drywall on the homes in the area and the residents’ budget. It seems, however, that the earthquake came in perfect timing for Charleston county school district’s supervisor. Apparently, he has been trying to invest money in local schools partially as precautionary measures for future earthquakes. I’m sure he won’t have any problem getting help now. It appears South Carolina is as bad as California when it comes to earthquakes. Apparently back in 1886, they had one that cost the equivalent of $103 million in today's currency and killed more than a hundred people. In some estimates, it measured a big 10 in magnitude. That would take a lot more than a payday loan to cover the damages. Let’s just hope this event serves as a warning sign that bigger things may come. Thus, we must make major preventative measures today in case something like this, or worse, comes crashing down tomorrow. You can read the article called "Charleston Earthquake | Payday Will Be Spent Fixing Drywall," on the <a href="http://personalmoneystore.com/moneyblog/2008/12/16/charleston-earthquake-payday-will-be-spent-fixing-drywall/">payday loan</a> news blog at personalmoneystore.com.