Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Fundraising for Fort McMurray: Calgary events | Globalnews.ca

Fundraising for Fort McMurray: Calgary events | Globalnews.ca: "Canadians have already raised millions of dollars in donations and Calgarians can continue to show their support while enjoying a day (or night) on the town. Here’s a look at just a few of the many fundraising events taking place over the coming days and weeks."



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Fort McMurray fire: What’s happening now, and what you’ve missed - The Globe and Mail

Fort McMurray fire: What’s happening now, and what you’ve missed - The Globe and Mail: "Read the latest on the size of fire, the progress firefighters are making, the response by government and Canadians, and how the evacuees are coping. Also, the latest photos and videos of the fire’s devastating impact"



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Marysville firefighters donate to Fort McMurray relief fund

Marysville firefighters donate to Fort McMurray relief fund: "Marysville firefighters have donated $1,000 to a fund for firefighters affected by the Fort McMurray fires.

A massive fire in the Alberta, Canada city last week prompted the evacuation of about 88,000 residents and destroyed about 2,400 homes and buildings."



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The AFP Blog: Coming Together for the Profession, the Community

The AFP Blog: Coming Together for the Profession, the Community: "The AFP Edmonton &;Area Chapter, along with AFP Canada leaders, have provided a list of services of services and resources for AFP members and others affected by the fires. I’m pleased to pass the information they collected along—you can find the list here."



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Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Red Cross says lion's share of donations to Fort McMurray wildfires will go directly to evacuees - Calgary - CBC News

Red Cross says lion's share of donations to Fort McMurray wildfires will go directly to evacuees - Calgary - CBC News: "The Red Cross is defending the way it allocates donations to disasters and promises that those directly affected by the Fort McMurray wildfires will get the lion's share.

"The money will be applied to the event itself, the fires and the impact, and will stay in Alberta and will go to assisting residents of the Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo area and the community to transition into recovery and then longer-term recovery," said Jenn McManus, vice-president for the Red Cross in Alberta."



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Friday, May 06, 2016

Social Impact Newsletter(Formerly the Charities and Not-for-Profit Newsletter) | May 6, 2016 | Miller Thomson

Social Impact Newsletter(Formerly the Charities and Not-for-Profit Newsletter) | May 6, 2016 | Miller Thomson: "The Alberta Provincial Government announced on May 4th that it will match donations made to The Canadian Red Cross Society (the "Red Cross") that are designated to support the residents affected by the wildfires currently blazing in the Fort McMurray, Alberta area.  Following suit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced yesterday that the Federal Government will engage in a similar matching program with respect to individual donations made to the same organization."



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Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Ecuador earthquake leaves 120,000 children temporarily out of school - UNICEF | Press centre | UNICEF

Ecuador earthquake leaves 120,000 children temporarily out of school - UNICEF | Press centre | UNICEF: "EW YORK/PANAMA CITY/QUITO, Ecuador, 26 April 2016 – More than 280 schools have been damaged by the earthquake that hit Ecuador on April 16, leaving up to 120,000 children temporarily without education, UNICEF said today.  
 
“Education is a lifeline for children going through the trauma of chaos and destruction,” said Grant Leaity, UNICEF Representative in Ecuador. “It helps give them a daily routine and a sense of purpose and puts them on track for psychological recovery.” "



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Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Japan's Abe orders extra budget for earthquake reconstruction | Reuters

Japan's Abe orders extra budget for earthquake reconstruction | Reuters: "Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered his government on Sunday to compile an extra budget package to fund reconstruction from recent earthquakes that hit the south of the country, with an aim to put it into effect by June 1."



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Monday, April 25, 2016

More than 4,000 houses judged in ‘unsafe’ state in Kumamoto:The Asahi Shimbun

More than 4,000 houses judged in ‘unsafe’ state in Kumamoto:The Asahi Shimbun: "KUMAMOTO--More than 4,000 of the houses damaged in the series of earthquakes were assessed as "unsafe" in seven hard-hit municipalities in Kumamoto Prefecture as of April 23, the Kumamoto prefectural government announced on April 24.

The preliminary figure of 4,062 is the fourth largest in recent decades following an estimated 12,000 in the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, 6,476 in the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake and 5,243 in the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake."



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​When disaster relief brings anything but relief - CBS News

​When disaster relief brings anything but relief - CBS News: "Many of the well-meaning articles we Americans donate in times of disaster turn out to be of no use to those in need. Sometimes, they even get in the way. That's a message relief organizations very much want us to heed. Our Cover Story is reported now by Scott Simon of NPR:

When Nature grows savage and angry, Americans get generous and kind. That's admirable. It might also be a problem.

"Generally after a disaster, people with loving intentions donate things that cannot be used in a disaster response, and in fact may actually be harmful," said Juanita Rilling, director of the Center for International Disaster Information in Washington, D.C. "And they have no idea that they're doing it.""



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Nepal remembers quake victims - The Japan News

Nepal remembers quake victims - The Japan News: "KATMANDU (AFP-Jiji) — Nepal held memorial services on Sunday for the thousands killed in a massive earthquake one year ago, as victims still living in tents accused the government of failing them.

The 7.8-magnitude quake killed nearly 9,000 people and about four million survivors are still living in temporary shelters, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

"



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Neighboring prefectures send disaster specialists to quake-hit Kumamoto | The Japan Times

Neighboring prefectures send disaster specialists to quake-hit Kumamoto | The Japan Times: "Other areas in Japan with extensive experience in dealing with natural disasters have dispatched personnel to Kumamoto to help the prefecture cope with the deadly earthquakes that struck Kyushu.

Officials with expertise are helping to manage shelters for displaced residents and to dispose of the extensive rubble, among other work, in the disaster-hit areas.

The experts are from governments including Fukushima, Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, which were hit hardest by the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami."



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Thai artists hold charity concert for quake victims in Japan, Ecuador | The Japan Times

Thai artists hold charity concert for quake victims in Japan, Ecuador | The Japan Times: "BANGKOK – More than 50 Thai artists performed at a charity concert in Bangkok on Saturday to raise funds for earthquake victims in Japan and Ecuador.

The Sing for Friends event was organized by actor Chanon Rikulsurakan, who recently spent about a month filming a movie in quake-hit Kumamoto Prefecture."



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Theirworld charity launches virtual reality appeal on Nepal earthquake anniversary to get kids back in school - CBS News

Theirworld charity launches virtual reality appeal on Nepal earthquake anniversary to get kids back in school - CBS News: "LONDON-- To appreciate the scale of the emergency still facing Nepal's children a year after an earthquake shook the country to its core, you have to see it and hear it -- you have to feel it.

So a children's charity is bringing you right into the heart of the disaster, from the comfort of your own home."



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After the Earthquake: One Year Later — Medium

After the Earthquake: One Year Later — Medium: "After the Earthquake: One Year Later
April 25, 2016 marks the 1-year anniversary of the 7.8 magnitude Nepal earthquake — the first in a series of tremors — that devastated the Kathmandu Valley.
The day after the first earthquake, Splash staff in Nepal began surveying the damage at their partner schools, realizing they were the first relief aid to arrive. “The schools were very amazed,” said Kriti Baidya, a Partner Support Coordinator at Splash Nepal. Not one of Splash’s hard-wired water filtration systems had been permanently damaged. "



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Thursday, April 21, 2016

Ecuadoreans in earthquake zone jostle for food, water | Reuters

Ecuadoreans in earthquake zone jostle for food, water | Reuters: "Survivors of an earthquake that killed 570 people and shattered Ecuador's coast clamored for food, water and medicine on Thursday as aid eluded more remote parts of the disaster zone.

President Rafael Correa's socialist government, facing a mammoth rebuilding task at a time of slashed oil revenues in the OPEC nation, said there was no lack of supplies - just problems with distribution that should be quickly resolved."



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Ecuador’s Millionaires to Help Fund Earthquake Disaster Relief

Ecuador’s Millionaires to Help Fund Earthquake Disaster Relief: "Correa laid out his funding plans late Wednesday, the BBC reports. For one year, Ecuador’s sales tax will rise from 12 percent to 14 percent; people with assets worth $1 million or higher will have to pay a one off sum to the value of 0.9 percent of their wealth; citizens earning more than $1,000 a month will give back one day’s salary, up to five days salary for those people earning $5,000 a month; and the state will sell off some of its holdings."



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BY THE NUMBERS: The toll from Japan’s twin earthquakes - The Washington Post

BY THE NUMBERS: The toll from Japan’s twin earthquakes - The Washington Post: "The first of two back-to-back earthquakes struck the southern Japanese island of Kyushu one week ago Thursday night. Here is a look, by the numbers, at the quakes and their aftermath."



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Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Japan earthquake: Death toll reaches 48, over 100,000 people homeless - Firstpost

Japan earthquake: Death toll reaches 48, over 100,000 people homeless - Firstpost: "More than 100,000 people are homeless or have fled their homes as aftershocks continue to shake the area. Many are living in cramped conditions in shelters or even their cars, with limited food and water."



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Poor planning hinders relief efforts - The Japan News

Poor planning hinders relief efforts - The Japan News: " Evacuation shelters in Kumamoto Prefecture, established after the first in a series of earthquakes struck on Thursday night, are facing an increasingly serious shortage of commodities. Though relief goods are being distributed to the prefecture from across the country, disrupted traffic networks, confusion and shortages of manpower in local governments have prevented them from being adequately distributed to people affected by the earthquakes. The situation has shed light on what were overly optimistic assumptions about disaster preparedness."



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