Article by Thubten Palzang:
Despite the arrival of some supplies in the affected area, cold weather with snow and sleet and freezing temperatures has made life difficult for quake survivors, many of whom remain without adequate shelter, water, or heat. As the cold weather moved in, three people, including a 4 year old girl and an elderly woman who had been kept alive by villagers who used bamboo poles to push rice and water to them, were rescued a week after the quake struck. The official death toll now tops 2,000 with over 12,000 injured.
Meanwhile, the monks who offered the initial aid to victims and rescued many people from collapsed buildings have been ordered out of quake zone and back to their monasteries by the Chinese government.
The United States made an initial aid offer, giving $100,000 to Chinese Red Cross via the USAID office in China.
Other aid organizations collecting donations to help victims of the quake and fund reconstruction:
UNICEF asking for donations to supply water, shelter, and medical supplies. They report 20 children remain buried in debris awaiting rescue. www.unicefusa.org or call 1-800-4UNICEF.
Doctors without Borders collecting donations to send a team to assess needs in area.
International Medical Corp is preparing to send a team from Indonesia.
Direct Relief helping One Heart and Amitabha Foundation with their relief efforts.
AmeriCares is sending response teams to organize medical supplies and other aid.
Machik, an organization that educates children and creates new work opportunities in Tibet, is also bringing relief supplies to the area.
Mercy Corps is on the ground in the earthquake zone and has set up a fund to help with recovery efforts.
Tibetan Village Project is onsite coordinating efforts of the various NGOs. They work to promote sustainable reconstruction and provide aid to affected schools.
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