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I don't really know why the Red Cross is making such estimates this early on. Certainly its very probable given the gravity of the storm and all, but that doesn't help the morale of those dealing with this disaster. Such estimates might spur more donations though. If you give, be careful who ya give to. They had a shake up a couple years ago with funds missing there. I prefer to give where I know most all the money is going to help people in need.
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If you are looking for someone in the Philippines, or have information about someone in the area, please go to:
Google Person Finder - Typhoon Yolanda - Note that internationally, it is referred to as Typhoon Haiyan - however, locally in the Philippines, it is referred to as Typhoon Yolanda
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TACLOBAN, Philippines (AP) — As many as 10,000 people are believed dead in one Philippine city alone when one of the worst storms on record sent giant sea waves washing away homes, schools and airport buildings, officials said Sunday. Ferocious winds ravaged several central islands, burying people under tons of debris and leaving corpses hanging from trees.
That's a sad and grim estimate. Whatever the death toll ultimately turns out to be, it's going to be very tragic. My thoughts go out to those who have lost family and friends, as well as to the survivors who may have lost their homes. Who knows how many people need to be rescued,
I don't really know why the Red Cross is making such estimates this early on. Certainly its very probable given the gravity of the storm and all, but that doesn't help the morale of those dealing with this disaster. Such estimates might spur more donations though. If you give, be careful who ya give to. They had a shake up a couple years ago with funds missing there. I prefer to give where I know most all the money is going to help people in need.
Yep, the donation requests are starting already. I hate to sound cynical, but I've found such natural disasters are often exagerrated to generate donations, which never go to the victims. Look at Haiti, much of the country is still in shambles 3 years later. I volunteered to take calls for a local station, people donated from $25 up to $10,000! IMO, they should have kept that money for themselves, for all the good it did the people of Haiti.
I'll probably get a lot of flames for what I'm about to say---like as though I've never been flamed before but why is it we are expected to donate for every natural disaster around the world? What about their own countries what do they do, except misuse the funds we send while letting their own people suffer while their governments pocket our well-intended donations? Let them take care of their own. We have "disasters" here in the USA, people homeless, etc, etc...yet we're the first pocket people want to empty out when something happens, but its ok for our jobs to go overseas while our own citizens lack for shelter, health care, etc.....
I'll probably get a lot of flames for what I'm about to say---like as though I've never been flamed before but why is it we are expected to donate for every natural disaster around the world? What about their own countries what do they do, except misuse the funds we send while letting their own people suffer while their governments pocket our well-intended donations? Let them take care of their own. We have "disasters" here in the USA, people homeless, etc, etc...yet we're the first pocket people want to empty out when something happens, but its ok for our jobs to go overseas while our own citizens lack for shelter, health care, etc.....
IMO, charity begins at home
No one is forcing anyone to give anything to anyone anywhere, that's what a donation is, so if that's how YOU feel, don't! But, since you think that charity begins at home, I do hope that you are at least helping those in your home area that you've identified as needing help.
But, to say that all of the monies donated don't go to the people needing help is simply untrue - if it was given to a legitimate organization like the Red Cross to begin with... something everyone needs to be wary of.
The U.S. is expected to help those less fortunate elsewhere because the U.S. is one of the richest countries in the world (something that most take for granted daily), and we are here to help mankind, to help each other, wherever we are. And, just as a fyi, there has not been a disaster that the U.S. faced that we were not offered the same type help from other countries, even though they well could afford it a lot less than we could.
Now, back to the topic of this thread - the Super Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines - unfortunately, there can be no exaggeration in the destruction or deaths that have occurred... as it is the worst to ever make landfall in history... think about that, the worst in history ever! All you have to do is look at the damage and the lives lost in much weaker storms that we've faced right here in the U.S. - the last being Sandy and Katrina - that weren't anywhere close to the wind speed or magnitude of this typhoon as it came ashore!!!
It was obvious beforehand that the only way to guarantee your survival from a direct hit from this would to be on a plane out of there. But, that wasn't a choice these people had and they've had to pay the consequences of having no other choice.
You're welcome to vent all you like - but, not here in this thread - this is neither the time or place to do it. Why not try the P&OC forum instead?
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Last edited by BstYet2Be; 11-10-2013 at 02:06 PM..
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but why is it we are expected to donate for every natural disaster around the world? What about their own countries what do they do, except misuse the funds we send while letting their own people suffer while their governments pocket our well-intended donations? Let them take care of their own. We have "disasters" here in the USA, people homeless, etc, etc...yet we're the first pocket people want to empty out when something happens, but its ok for our jobs to go overseas while our own citizens lack for shelter, health care, etc.....
