Americans don’t typically pay much attention to the affairs of foreign countries. But when an ongoing crisis like Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hits, devastating the Philippines with 195 mph winds and killing an estimated tens of thousands of people, we as a country rise to the occasion.
If you’d like to provide assistance to the victims of this terrible disaster, learn more about the crisis or want to check in or update the status of loved ones overseas, Internet giant Google has created a one-stop crisis relief page at google.org/crisisresponse/2013-yolanda.html to assist those wanting to help.
There, you can donate to charities such as the American Red Cross, Unicef and the World Food Program as they attempt to bring much-needed relief to the area. You'll also find a missing persons tool so you can report friends and family members to be “found,” or otherwise see if someone has more information. It's also a good resource for up-to-date news stories on Haiyan/Yolanda.
Looking for an alternative way to provide funds to the victims? Phone carriers in the U.S. have teamed up with the mGive Foundation to make assisting as easy as sending an SMS message. Just text AID to 80108 and a $10 donation will be sent to mGive’s Philippines Typhoon Relief Fund. The charge will appear on your wireless bill or be deducted from your pre-paid balance as applicable.
[Typhoon satellite view via Shutterstock and NASA]
