How to help India's quake victims

All four floors of the school in Ahmedabad collapsed

Charities around the world have launched urgent appeals for donations to help the earthquake victims of Gujarat, and the public has been quick to respond.

The International Red Cross is asking for £10m to fund what they describe as a "massive international mobilisation" of aid to the earthquake victims.

Online donations are being accepted via the website www.ifrc.org (UK donations can be sent to www.redcrossdonations.org.uk).

Unicef, the United Nations Children's Fund, has also launched an appeal, and their site www.unicef.org.uk contains information as well as accepting donations.

At times like this, there is no such thing as compassion fatigue

James Darcy, Oxfam's Asia Co-ordinator

The charity has committed itself to spending at least £6m for immediate assistance in Gujarat. "From the UK, we have pledged an initial £100,000," said David Bull, Executive Director of Unicef UK. "But we urgently need more funds."

Other international organisations are also urgently fundraising for their relief effort. Oxfam www.oxfam.org and CARE International www.care.org are both taking donations.

James Darcy, Oxfam's Emergencies Co-ordinator for Asia said: "This is going to be a massive international relief effort if we're going to sustain the lives of the survivors. At times like this, there is no such thing as compassion fatigue."

Indian organisations are also urgently requesting funds. The Indian Development and Relief Fund www.idrf.org is channelling donations to humanitarian agencies operating in the area.

Details of an Ahmedabad-based agency, Vishwa Gujarati Samaj, can be found on the website www.evishwagujarati.net/disaster/disaster.html.

The Indian Institute of Management has also launched an appeal www.sristi.org/emergency.htm

UK community contacts

Gujarati community and religious organisations in the UK are mobilising funds and relief supplies.

The Shree Swaminarayan Temple in Willesden www.shreeswaminarayan.org.uk/ has set up a site with the latest earthquake news and appeals for help.

Another community website appealing for help can be found at www.sklpconline.co.uk/index2.htm

www.gujratearthquakeappeal.org/ and www.sewainternational.com are also apealing for help.

Further contacts

The following US-based aid agencies are accepting contributions for assistance. They are members of InterAction, a coalition of relief, development and refugee assistance agencies:

Adventist Development and Relief Agency Earthquake Relief - India 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 1-800-424-ADRA www.adra.org

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee India Earthquake Relief 711 Third Avenue, 10th Floor New York, NY 10017 212-885-0832 www.jdc.org

American Jewish World Service 989 Avenue of the Americas, 10th Floor New York, NY 10018 1-800-889-7146 www.ajws.org

B'nai B'rith International Disaster Relief - India Earthquake Disaster Relief Fund 1640 Rhode Island Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 202-857-6533 www.bnaibrith.org

CARE 151 Ellis St., NE Atlanta, GA 30303 1-800-521-CARE www.care.org

Catholic Relief Services P.O. Box 17090 Baltimore, MD., 21203-7090 1-800-736-3467 www.catholicrelief.org

Christian Children's Fund India Earthquake PO Box 26484 Richmond, VA 23261 1-800-SPONSOR www.christianchildrensfund.org

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee 2850 Kalamazoo SE Grand Rapids, MI 49560 1-800-55-CRWRC www.crwrc.org

Church World Service 475 Riverside Drive New York, NY 10115-0050 212-870-2167 www.churchworldservice.org

Concern Worldwide 104 East 40th Street, Room 903 New York, NY 10016 212-557-8000 www.concernusa.org

Direct Relief International 27 South La Patera Lane Santa Barbara, CA 93117 805-964-4767 www.directrelief.org

Doctors Without Borders P.O. Box 2247 New York, NY, 10116-2247 1-888-392-0392 www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Food for the Hungry 7729 E. Greenway Road Scottsdale, AZ 85260 1-800-2-HUNGER www.fh.org

Lutheran World Relief P.O. Box 17061 Baltimore, MD 21298-9832 1-800-LWR-LWR2 www.lwr.org

MAP International Emergency Relief Fund PO Box 215000 Brunswick, GA 31521 1-800-225-8550 www.map.org

Northwest Medical Teams International P.O. Box 10 Portland Oregon 97207 1-800-959-4325 Contact: Carrie Gess www.nwmti.org

Operation USA mark check "India" 8320 Melrose Avenue, Ste. 200 Los Angles, CA 90069 1-800-678-7255 www.opusa.org

Oxfam America India Earthquake Response 26 West Street Boston, MA 02111-1206 1-800-77-OXFAM www.oxfamamerica.org

Salvation Army World Service Office Mark donations "India Earthquake" 615 Slaters Lane Alexandria, VA 22314 703-684-5528

United Methodist Committee on Relief 475 Riverside Drive, Room 330 New York, NY 10115 1-800-554-8583 www.gbgm-umc.org

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

United Way International 701 North Fairfax Street Alexandria, VA 22314 703-519-0092 www.uwint.org

World Concern 19303 Fremont Avenue North Seattle, WA 98133 [phone] www.worldconcern.org

World Relief, Department 3 P.O. Box WRC Wheaton, IL 60189 1-800-535-5433 www.worldrelief.org

World Vision P.O. Box 70200 Tacoma, WA 98481 1-888-56-CHILD www.worldvision.org