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Information at your fingertips
The internet started off 15 years ago simply as a means of sharing information. But today it represents a resource for NGOs and not-for-profit organizations involved in relief efforts for the survivors of natural calamities around the world.
BECAUSE OF their increasing popularity, websites have started to play a crucial role in the relief efforts launched in the wake of the recent earthquake in South Asia. Several websites became functional within 48 hours of the tragedy and today there are numerous sites providing updates on the relief efforts, disseminating information about missing people, and raising funds.
Thus, in a remarkably short span of time the web has been transformed into a giant ‘crisis management’ hub, where hundreds of websites, discussion groups and news organizations strive to help the survivors of the quake. People from all over the world visit these websites to pledge donations or to get insights.
Let’s see what some of these websites have to offer and how they are contributing towards a better future for the affected people. Every website dealing with the Oct 8 earthquake is unique. However, Sci-tech World has selected a few that help coordinate and manage the relief and reconstruction efforts effectively:
RISEPAK www.risepak.com — The Relief Information System for Earthquakes Pakistan is an excellent portal that came into being as a result of collaboration between American and Pakistani academics, organizations, and individuals dedicated towards helping the survivors. The site is helping coordinate the relief initiatives by providing relevant information about the affected areas and gathering demographic data via fax, phone, text-massaging and through its own ‘provide information’ section.
The homepage is a simple one which lists messages from various notice boards and the organization’s own call centres. The site provides information about hundreds of villages which can be found in the ‘notice board section’ of the website.
Data, arranged according to various categories, are downloadable and you can also mount a search. The website provides valuable information about donor agencies, including their contact and account details. The site contains a wealth of information, collated with the help of volunteers working in the affected areas.
Missing Persons Information Exchange missingpersons.dsl.net.pk — This site lists information about the missing persons. The content is searchable and the list is exhaustive. People can report missing persons too.
The website is ideal for those who are living abroad and want to know about their loved ones. The Federal Relief Commission, the Red Cross and the Earthquake Victims and Relief Information Systems are also maintaining sites for the same purpose, under the domain names www.pakistan.disasterlink.org, www.familylinks.icrc.org/epi/locate and www.earthquake.org.pk, respectively.
United Nations earthquake05.un.org.pk — The Humanitarian Information Centre (HIC) Pakistan is also maintaining a website for collaborating and contributing in the relief efforts. The HIC is managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) and operates in collaboration with a number of partners, including the United Nations Joint Logistics Cell (UNJLC), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO).
The site has information about donations, besides various photographs and maps. People who want to set up their own relief camps can visit the ‘humanitarian hub’ section of the site to get the information they need. The site’s ‘cluster info’ section deals with the need for specific relief goods in the affected cities, towns and villages.
All in all, the website contains valuable information covering almost all the aspects of the quake. It also features comprehensive reports, enabling one to get meaningful insights into the tragedy.
United Pakistan www.unitedpakistan.org — This initiative is led by the well-known singer and television anchor Fakhr-e-Alam, who has launched a relief initiative in collaboration with the military. The site is simple and it provides information about the kind of donations and volunteers needed by the people behind the effort.
The website’s ‘camp’ and ‘pictures’ sections deal with photographs of the relief camp set up by United Pakistan. Those who are planning to make donations should definitely visit the site.
South Asian Earthquake Relief and Rebuilding www.globalgiving.com/cb/cidi/kashmir.html — This website is sponsored by the Global Giving, founded by two former World Bank executives who decided to use the internet to create a highly efficient marketplace. They are working on different projects for relief and reconstruction in the affected areas and giving an opportunity to the donors to select specific projects they may fund. This way they will know exactly where their money goes.
The projects are described on the website, with the details available in downloadable PDF format. Donors can go through updates on most projects, as funding is received and goals are met. Donations can also be transferred using PayPal secured servers, which is a quick and easy way to transfer money globally.
Federal Relief Commission www.earthquakepakistan.com — The site is maintained by the Federal Relief Commission. Its ‘people finder’ section was made in collaboration with the Microsoft Corporation.
The website contains a list of the supplies needed in various places and also has information about the relief and rehabilitation efforts. There is a separate section for latest news and updates. For those who are looking for details and want to help in cash or kind, may contact the commission through the email info@earthquakepakistan.com.
Association for the Development of Pakistan www.www.developpakistan.org — This site is sponsored by the Association for the Development of Pakistan (ADP), a US-based non-profit organization founded in May 2003. It is dedicated towards raising funds for the relief efforts through different fund-raising events. The money is sent directly to donor organizations.
Donations can be sent online, using PayPal servers. In order to provide for transparent fund-raising, the site provides downloadable receipts of the money sent.
TCF Relief Fund www.tcfrelieffund.org — As the name suggests, this site is sponsored by The Citizens Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that provides education to children in the rural areas. After the quake, the organization dedicated a separate website to fund-raising and also to spread the word about the scale of the disaster.
TCF has established several field hospitals and is partnered by well-known local and international organizations. This site provides a facility to send donations online via credit cards.
Islamic Relief www.islamic-relief.com/submenu/appeal/pakistanquake.htm — Islamic Relief (IR) is an independent non-governmental organization founded in the UK in 1984. It is working on several programmes, its quake relief initiative being one of them. The website features detailed report of the aid sent to various villages.
People can send donations by signing up on its site or by calling at their telephone numbers in different countries. The site’s ‘quake diary’ has stories from the field which depict the problems the affected people are facing on a daily basis.
SAQUAKE.ORG http://www.saquake.org — This website is sponsored by a non-profit organization working jointly with various other organizations to provide relief. The site contains a plethora of information, such as quake facts, ways to donate, how to help, fundraising events, media reports and press releases.
The site is not huge, but contains some valuable information and links. It is very effectively disseminating information about the recent quake and its aftermath.
The internet started off 15 years ago simply as a means of sharing information. But today it represents a resource for NGOs and not-for-profit organizations involved in relief efforts for the survivors of natural calamities around the world.
Meanwhile, the Oct 8 earthquake may have brought about a ‘coming of age’ of the Pakistan-based websites. Also, the tragedy may well trigger a truly global response to the tragedy.
The writer is a student of the NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, who can be reached at muhammadzeeshan@hotmail.com
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BBC FUUAST Dawn Pakistan Earthquake 2005 Pakistan Earthquake Help Pakistan South Asia Earthquake Relief Pakistan Canada Association Help Asia President’s Earthquake Relief Fund Edhi Welfare Trust Department for International Development, UK — ZM |
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