The Lede: Myanmar Disaster Relief: How To Contribute

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By Robert Mackey

For readers interested in contributing to help victims of the cyclone in Myanmar, here is an alphabetical list of contact information and links for some agencies that plan to provide relief. The New York Times does not certify the charities’ fund allocations or administrative costs. More information about giving, for this and other causes, is available online from the GuideStar database on nonprofit agencies.

ACTION AGAINST HUNGER

247 West 37th Street, 10th Floor New York, NY U.S.A. 10018 (212) 967-7800

AMERICARES

88 Hamilton Avenue Stamford, Conn. 06902 (800) 486-4357

AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD SERVICE

45 West 36th Street New York, N.Y. 10018 (800) 889-7146

AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE

Myanmar Cyclone Relief P.O. Box 530 132 East 43rd St. New York, N.Y., 10017 (212) 687-6200

CARE

151 Ellis Street Atlanta, Ga. 30303 (800) 521-CARE (521-2273)

CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES

Southeast Asia Natural Disaster P.O. Box 17090 Baltimore, Md. 21203-7090 (877) 435-7277

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS/RED CRESCENT

P.O. Box 372 CH-1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland (011) 41-22-730-4222

INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES

P.O. Box 630225 Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225 (877) 803-4622

SAVE THE CHILDREN

Myanmar Cyclone Response 54 Wilton Road Westport, Conn. 06880 (800) 728-3843

U.N. HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES For U.S. residents: USA for UNHCR

1775 K St., NW Suite 290 Washington, D.C. 20006 (202) 296-1115 (800) 770-1100

U.S. FUND FOR UNICEF

125 Maiden Lane New York, N.Y. 10038 (800) 4-UNICEF (486-4233)

WORLD FOOD PROGRAM

Friends of the World Food Program 1819 L Street, NW Suite 900 Washington, D.C. 20036 (866) 929-1694

WORLD VISION

P.O. Box 9716 Federal Way, Wash. 98063-9716 (888) 56-CHILD (562-4453)

The aid agency Direct Relief (dot org) is already in Burma, and are seeking donations to support their medical aid work there. It is one of the two featured charities that Google has up in the “support disaster relief” link.

†Posted by Avery

While the media will focus its attention on the loss of life there will be millions displaced in the coming weeks and like most natural disasters no plan for long term sustainable reconstruction. Large aid agencies like Oxfam and Care will be knee deep in immediate delivery of aid however how will the country respond to the long term strategy need to rebuild the country. We are currently reaching out to our community. We will need to raise a minimum of $10,000 to provide design services to communities affected by the disaster. This is a small start, but could affect tens of thousands of those displaced. Architecture for Humanity supports long-term community-led reconstruction. Less than 8% of our funds go towards administration.

†Posted by Yes Duffy

Having been to Burma in 2000, I really hope that this disaster can help shed some light on the military junta’s oppressive human rights violations over the past few decades. This humanitarian crisis is not born from a natural disaster. It stems directly from the military government’s lack of preparedness and systematic perpetuation of poverty in Burma as social control.

While the media will focus its attention on the loss of life there will be millions displaced in the coming weeks and like most natural disasters no plan for long term sustainable reconstruction. Large aid agencies like Oxfam and Care will be knee deep in immediate delivery of aid however how will the country respond to the long term strategy need to rebuild the country.

Currently, I volunteer at a passionate non-profit that works in disaster relief. Here’s an excerpt from out recent efforts:

Architecture for Humanity is currently fundraising for a longer-term, sustainable reconstruction effort. We will need to raise a minimum of $10,000 to provide design services to communities affected by the disaster. This is a small start, but could affect tens of thousands of those displaced.

Architecture for Humanity supports long-term community-led reconstruction. Less than 8% of our funds go towards administration. You can be a part of this non-profit effort at architectureforhumanity.org.

†Posted by Yes Duffy

It would be most useful if someone from a validated US disaster relief fund could give us a “users guide” to make clear which of these posted institutions in the current fluid environment in burma is most likely to quickly translate dollars into lives saved.

†Posted by Dan Morganstern

GlobalGiving also has several projects that will support relief efforts.

http://www.globalgiving.com/myanmar.html

Tomorrow morning, GlobalGiving will also have a project from one of the few organizations that is already on the ground in Myanmar, so you can contribute to organizations that are already there and can provide aid. Hopefully Myanmar will allow other organizations in as quickly as possible!

(Full disclosure: I work at GlobalGiving as a web programmer.)

†Posted by Kevin Conroy

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Myanmar Disaster Relief: How to Contribute

For readers interested in contributing to help victims of the cyclone in Myanmar, here is an alphabetical list of contact information and links for some agencies that plan to provide relief. The New York Times does not certify the charities’ fund allocations or administrative costs. More information about giving, for this and other causes, is […]

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In the news business, the opening sentences of a story are referred to as its "lede" spelled that way, journalism lore has it, to avoid confusion with the lead typesetting that once dominated newspaper printing presses. Every sentence in a news story, though, has the potential to spiral off in new directions, and thats where The Ledes mission begins.

"The Majlis" refers to a group of people sitting down together to talk, informally or formally. These Lede posts continue the conversation about points raised in The Timess "Generation Faithful," a series about Middle Eastern youth. The first article, "Stalled Lives," focuses on Egypts young people, and the initial entries of "The Majlis" are from the staff of The Timess Cairo bureau. To comment in Arabic, please e-mail: world.nyt@gmail.com

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