It's now about 72 hours since the tsunamis swept across the Indian Ocean, and the death toll is rising at an alarming rate. Current figures being reported range between 55000 and 70000.
The scope of the devastation is dumbfounding. At least a third of the population of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is believed to have died. The extent of the impact in east Africa is starting to become clearer. Thousands of people in Somalia require aid, deaths have been reported in Kenya and Tanzania, people are homeless in Madagascar, and even in South Africa there has been a death attributed to seismic wave activity.
Alongside all the resource websites I've mentioned previously giving information about this disaster, Wikipedia has put together an excellent page. As well as information and links, it also lists the humanitarian assistance being provided by various countries, plus a list of relief organisations around the world to whom online donations can be made.
Wikipedia's critics cite concerns about the naivete of its concept and potential weaknesses in quality control, but it has shown on major occasions such as this just how reliable and comprehensive it can be. That URL again: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake.
I am pleased to see today that the Australian government has added AUD 25 million to the AUD 10 million previously pledged in humanitarian aid. But even with our government giving $1.75 per head of Australian population, I am sure that those of us reading this can all give generously ourselves to the agencies on the ground in the disaster areas.
As well as the enormous number of people who have died, are injured or are at risk to disease, there are whole economies and infrastructures that have been destroyed and will need rebuilding. It is important that we all give whatever practical assistance we can, and for most of us that means financial.