6 Ways You Can Give to Nepal Earthquake Relief
Massive financial support is going to be needed if impoverished Nepal is to rebuild from the devastating weekend earthquake that claimed more than 3,600 lives and flattened buildings, among them some of the country's best known landmarks. Here's how you can donate. 1. Save the Children, Save the Children is an international charity that has been in Nepal since 1976 and is therefore in an exceptional position to help after years of operating within the country, Save the Children spokesman Philip Carroll told TIME. Carroll said that a response team of 24-emergency specialists, including a medical team, had been dispatched to assess humanitarian needs. He specifically emphasized the importance of distributing clean drinking water to prevent water-borne diseases in a country that already had low sanitation standards. They are also distributing hats and blankets for babies, as many families are living on the streets because of the fear of aftershocks. Also, 10 of funds are going to preparations for future disasters. To donate to their Nepal Earthquake Children's Relief Fund, click here. 2. Red Cross, The Red Cross has committed an initial 300,000 of aid as well as 19,000 non-food relief kits which include clothes, kitchen sets, tarpaulins and mosquito nets. "We do not yet know the scope of damage  People will need considerable support including food, water, medical care and emergency shelter," said Jagan Chapagain, the director for the International Federation of Red Cross Asia-Pacific said on Sunday via the organization's website. To donate to their Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund click here. , 3. Global Giving, Online fund-raising platform Global Giving is running a project to raise 1,000,000 for disaster relief in Nepal and has raised over 570,000 so far. To make a donation, visit them here. If you have a U.S. cell phone, you can text GIVE NEPAL to 80088 to make a 10 donation. 4. Friends Service Council Nepal, FSCN is a Nepalese NGO with over 20 years of experience in supporting disaster relief efforts for disasters in Nepal. They are based in Kathmandu and have about 50 volunteers. Chairperson Surya Bahadur Thapa tells TIME that since the earthquake they have been rushing money, food and tents to people in need. If you want to give directly to a local charity, get in contact and Thapa or a volunteer will explain how best to transfer money to them. 5. Oxfam, Oxfam, which works in more than 90 countries, has already dispatched technical experts from the U.K. to Nepal and sent a China-based team to assess humanitarian needs in Tibet, where the quake also struck. Nepal country director Cecilia Keizer stated that Oxfam was "preparing to help provide clean water and emergency food.", To make your donation to Oxfam's relief effort, go here. 6. Goonj, Goonj is an Indian relief agency with 11 offices and more than 300 employees. They have set up Nepal-specific donation centers in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Rishikesh, founding director Anshu Gupta told TIME. Currently, Goonj is readying two trucks of relief material to transfer to Nepal, with more urgent supplies going by air. Gupta will be leading team to Nepal tomorrow. Find out more about their operations here. For more information about how to donate, visit their website. Listen to the most important stories of the day.