Anna's Soapbox

It's all gut-wrenching and nearly incomprehensible, but to me the most heartbreaking aftermath of Sunday's earthquake and tsunami is the thousands of orphans and missing children.

After a day and a night stuck in coconut trees, [Taiwanese girl Yeh Chia-ni] told rescuers: "I thought my parents didn't want me any more."

People are being incredibly generous, and in addition to pledges from governments around the world, large organizations and retailers are pledging funds and making it easy for individuals to help, too. Just a few examples: Amazon.com had collected over $5 million as of midday today from a link on its front page, and many other tech types are adding to that.

The Pew Charitable Trusts of Philadelphia plans to send $1 million to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts. The organization's chief executive officer, Rebecca Rimel, says she hopes that Philadelphia residents will contribute $500,000 and that major cities across the USA will each meet or exceed $1 million in donations.... "If every major city could rise to this enormous challenge, the private sector could come up with $50 million to $75 million" and help save perhaps 1 million survivors from starvation, disease and homelessness, she says.

Let's show the US administration just how generous we're willing to be. (I swiped the addresses and links -- hope that's okay, a.j.)

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
PO Box 372
CH-1211 Geneva 19
Switzerland
41-22-730-4222

UNICEF
333 East 38th Street
New York, NY 10016
1-800-FOR-KIDS

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC Crisis Fund)
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA
1-215-241-7000

Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres
PO Box 2247
New York, NY 10116-2247
1-888-392-0392

Mercy Corps
PO Box 2669
Portland, OR 97208
1-800-852-2100

Oxfam International/Oxfam America
1-800-77OXFAM

Save the Children
Asia Earthquake/Tidal Wave Relief Fund
54 Wilton Road
Westport, CT 06880
1-800-728-3843