Earthquake in Chile: How to Help Disaster Victims

On Saturday, February 27, 2010, at 3:34 a.m., Chile was rattled awake by a devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake. The catastrophic quake hit about 70 miles from Concepcion, Chile's second-largest city and has killed over 700 people. The death toll from the earthquake in Chile continues to rise but is not expected to reach the astronomical amount that occurred in Haiti. In comparison with the 7.0 magnitude Haiti earthquake, the earthquake in Chile was 700 to 800 times stronger but fortunately was located deeper at 22 miles below the surface. Haiti's earthquake was more shallow (8.1 miles deep) contributing to the mass destruction in that country. More than 2 million people in Chile have been displaced, injured or affected in some way by the quake. Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet was quoted by CNN as saying "This will take a great effort from all sectors, public and private." She said her country will accept the help that it needs.

Wondering what organizations you can donate to help the victims of the earthquake in Chile? The following list of five non-profit groups have stepped up to help.

American Red Cross is Helping Victims of the Earthquake in Chile
The American Red Cross immediately offered help to the victims of the earthquake in Chile. As quoted on the their website: "Our hearts go out to the people of Chile as they struggle to deal with the immediate aftermath of this earthquake and the many aftershocks that are continuing," says David Meltzer, Senior Vice President of International Services at the American Red Cross. "Thanks to the generosity of the American people who previously donated to our International Relief Fund, we've been able to release an initial pledge of $50,000 to help the Chilean people in their hour of need and we stand ready to provide additional assistance." The American Red Cross is accepting monetary donations. At this time they are not looking for collected items. To help the Red Cross rebuild Chile from the earthquake devastation, click here.

Habitat for Humanity Providing Shelter to those Displaced by the Earthquake in Chile
Habitat for Humanity is looking for ways to provide shelter to those displaced by the earthquake in Chile. Habitat for Humanity has provided over 3,500 low-income families with housing needs since 1998 and has extensive knowledge and training in these types of disaster situations. Habitat for Humanity is seeking donations from people wishing to help the families in Chile to rebuild or repair their homes from the devastation. If you would like to donate to Habitat for Humanity, click here.

Samaritan's Purse Quick Response to the Earthquake in Chile
Samaritan's Purse immediately jumped to action upon hearing about the earthquake in Chile. The organization has a disaster response team based in nearby Bolivia. They were able to quickly send food and blankets for the Chilean people. Samaritan's Purse was also working with evangelical church partners to help assess the situation and will continue to provide for the necessary needs of the people. If you would like to help Samaritan's Purse, donations can be accepted here.

Salvation Army Providing Necessities to the Victims of the Earthquake in Chile
Known for coming to those in times of need, the Salvation Army was quick to send emergency services to the victims of the earthquake in Chile. They were able to provide immediate financial help, comfort and support to those affected by the catastrophic quake. The Salvation Army is accepting monetary donations. To help with the Salvation Army's continued help of those displaced by the earthquake in Chile, please go here.

UNICEF Helping the Children Affected by the Earthquake in Chile
UNICEF (the United Nations Children's Fund) has devoted their efforts to the children affected by the earthquake in Chile. The children's advocacy group will accept one time donations as well as monthly contributions to help the children in Chile. To help the victims of the earthquake in Chile, donate here.

For additional organizations that are helping with the crisis brought on by the earthquake in Chile, CNN has compiled a comprehensive list. Please click here to see the list of other organizations accepting donations for Chile disaster relief.

The victims of the earthquake in Haiti are still in great need of help. For ways to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake, click here.

Sources:
www.cnn.com
www.latimes.com