Give2Asia Giving Forum

GIVE2ASIA’S PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY TAKES ACTION IN RESPONSE TO CONSECUTIVE ASIAN DISASTERS

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Give2Asia, a U.S. public charity which empowers donors and local Asia-based charitable groups, is partnering with corporations, foundations and individuals to help on-the-ground organizations respond to recent disasters in Taiwan, Southeast Asia and India.

Since August, Give2Asia’s donors have supported disaster relief projects across Asia in response to typhoons in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, massive flooding in South India, and successive earthquakes in Western Sumatra in Indonesia. Donors have given over US$400,000 for disaster relief since August. Contributions to support disaster relief projects can be made online at www.give2asia.org/relief.

Philippines Typhoon Disaster Relief Call Recap

On the morning of October 19, Give2Asia hosted a conference call on disaster response in the Philippines. Thanks to everyone who attended. In this call, we featured Dr. Steven Rood of The Asia Foundation and Gillian Yeoh of Give2Asia, each discussing immediate relief and long-term recovery needs following the tragic Typhoon Ketsana and Parma.

Some key points we shared on the call as advice to donors included:

- Providing financial support versus in-kind donations. This helps to support the local economy by allowing NGOs to purchase needed supplies from local vendors, and which also provides the most cost-effective way to deliver the right supplies to the right people.

- Supporting groups that involve local communities in the relief effort. Empowering local communities is part of the recovery process, and often these groups and people know the best way to provide relief.

- Considering longer-term recovery needs. In addition to providing immediate relief support, consider the longer-term needs of the affected communities, which will be struggling long past the initial response and media coverage.

In case you were not able to attend, we have posted both the written transcript and audio recordings for the call. Please visit here to catch up on all the information that was shared.

Also, if you have additional questions, please contact Gillian Yeoh at gyeoh@give2asia.org or call 415.743.3371.

Philippines Typhoon Relief Conference Call

Join Give2Asia for a discussion on
Immediate Relief & Long-term Recovery Needs
Following Typhoons Ketsana & Parma

 

with
Dr. Steven Rood
Philippines Country Representative
for The Asia Foundation
& Ms. Gillian Yeoh
Program Officer for Give2Asia
 
Moderated by Joe Lumarda
Give2Asia Trustee
  
Monday, October 19, 2009
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. PST/
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST

Call Details:
US callers: 1-800-920-7487  
International callers: 1-404-920-1710
Participant Code 16764888#

Dr. Steven Rood is based in Manila and is monitoring first hand the destruction caused by Typhoon Ketsana, and the heavy rains brought by Typhoon Parma to northern Luzon. On Sunday, September 27 2009, Ketsana (known as Ondoy in the Philippines) struck the main island of Luzon in the Philippines hitting the national capital squarely, killing 337 people, while hundreds of thousands were displaced by the waters.  Then on Saturday, October 3, Parma (known as Pepeng in the Philippines) made landfall in the north of Luzon, lingering for six days of extremely heavy rain, causing landslides in the mountains and flooding in lowland provinces. Over 200 were killed, hundreds of thousands driven from their homes, and cities in the north cut off from land transportation.

Ms. Gillian Yeoh will provide an overview of how Give2Asia works with donors in times of disasters. Gillian will also describe several local organizations in the Philippines partnering with Give2Asia to make possible disaster relief and recovery work.

Typhoon Ketsana: All types of donors wanted

By: Dien S Yuen, Director of Philanthropy


Southeast Asia has been hit horribly by a series of tragic events. It is too difficult to convey in words the lives that were lost and the damage done to homes and businesses. The Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Western Sumatra ... these were already countries with high rates of poverty.

As I look at these pictures, I can't help but feel overwhelmed for the victims. But since I work at Give2Asia and we are fielding e-mails and calls from donors wanting to help - there is no time to feel sad. There are many, many generous donors - individuals, corporations, families, friends - that want to help. Like all disasters, we encourage donors to think about immediate relief and also long term recovery.

AP Reports Over 160 Dead After Mudslide in the Philippines

The Associated Press reported this morning that over 160 people were killed overnight due to continuing rain, which triggered a mudslide and destroyed the entire village of Kibugan in Benguet. Last nights deaths are the latest chapter of in an ongoing disaster caused initially by Typhoon Ketsana almost two weeks ago.

For information on what Give2Asia is doing to help Philippine communities following Typhoon Ketsana, please click here.

Click here to read the complete article from the Associated Press regarding last night's rains.