Yet the score-keeping of numbers of victims only tells part of the tale. The scale of the geophysical event is mind-boggling, and will be the stuff of both science and legends for decades to come. So far, Wikipedia is proving to be a remarkable, dynamic resource for understanding what has happened.
Wikipedia also provides an extremely useful compendium of constantly updated information on the current struggles to deal with the most urgent threats as well as the broader tasks of addressing the longer-term consequences of the catastrophe in each country affected. In addition, a truly international collection of sites and programs soliciting assistance -- in kind and cash -- can be found there. A special section is devoted to indepth coverage of the disaster as it has affected India. Reuters' AlertNet, its humanitarian crisis and disaster service, is a good place to track news on UN, aid agency and NGO responses going forward.
The blogosphere has of course not disappointed. Folks have ramped up a variety of resposnes in short order. Via The Acorn, here's a just-launched site devoted to both information and organizing assistance: SEA-EAT blog (The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami). Here's their RSS feed as well.
SEA-EAT blog has just set up a very useful donation page that directs you to organizations accepting donations online as well as those taking other forms of donations. Check out if there are comments on the SEA-EAT blog regarding some of the organizations soliciting assistance -- and you can also post questions about an organization if you want to know more about them.
In the blog's list of "how you can help," they add:
If you're a blogger, and would like to help us out by taking up posting duties, the same post has email addresses of the current contributors who can send you a blogger invitation. It would be nice having people around the world taking this up in shifts.The SEA-EAT blog has a number of links to info, satellite photos, etc. on the topographical impact of the earthquake and tsunami that's beyond my ability to imagine.
The press item that perhaps caught my overall disbelief best was this bit of black humor, from a Korean site, titled "Sumatra, We Have a Problem": The devastating earthquake that sent tidal waves flooding across land masses in the Indian Ocean has wrought significant changes in the topography of the region - even dislocating Sumatra by 36 meters. This caused aeronautical problems as the instruments of aircraft delivering relief supplies from all over the world failed to detect the new location of Sumatra Airport.[UPDATE] The shifting Sumatra and neighboring islands is raising additional concerns about getting aid to affected people in those areas. According to Reuters:
The [US Geological Survey] team in Pasadena, California, also was studying more detailed satellite images on Tuesday to determine if the scraping of one plate over another plowed up enough debris on the ocean floor to block the port of Banda Aceh in Sumatra where international aid was headed.
Large earthquakes in the last decade in Kobe, Japan, and Golcuk, Turkey, deformed the coastlines and rendered their ports inoperable after the crises, Hudnut said.
The scientists have asked for cooperation from operators of commercial satellites that can provide high-resolution images to show the extent of damage to coastlines, he said.
We'll continue to post additional sources of information or organizations that might be of interest as we learn about them.
Network for Good is an online network that links people who want to donate funds or volunteer with projects of interest. They also help people find ways to give in response to disasters, such as the Caribbean and Florida hurricaines earlier this year. Their page on assistance for victims of the Asian tsunami can be found here.
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