CIDI Cautions Public to Make Appropriate Donations to Help Victims of Indonesian Earthquake

    ARLINGTON, Va., May 30 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for International
 Disaster Information (CIDI) is urging all those who wish to help
 Indonesians affected by the May 27 earthquake to donate cash, as an
 alternative to gifts- in-kind and other commodities, in order to provide
 immediate and effective assistance. The 6.3-magnitude earthquake on Java
 has claimed an estimated 5,000 lives to date and left approximately 200,000
 people homeless.
     "This is a devastating tragedy for the people of Indonesia and their
 fourth destructive quake in the last 18 months," said Suzanne Brooks,
 director of the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) in
 Arlington, Virginia. "Many of the victims were still in the process of
 rebuilding their lives from previous disasters when this earthquake
 occurred. Now they truly need help to recover. It is critical that relief
 workers have the resources they need to respond quickly and effectively to
 victims' needs. The fastest and best way to provide assistance is through
 cash donations."
     Individuals and organizations interested in making contributions to
 help the victims of the Indonesian earthquake can get more information by
 visiting CIDI's web site at http://www.cidi.org. In addition, interested
 donors can visit http://www.interaction.org to obtain a list of credible
 responding agencies for international emergencies and http://www.give.org
 for valuable information on making informed decisions when supporting
 charities.
     About CIDI
     CIDI is based in Arlington, VA, and was created in 1988. CIDI provides
 individuals, groups, embassies and corporations with information and
 guidance in support of appropriate international disaster relief efforts.
 The organization works with a variety of partners to channel the public's
 energy and desire to help to achieve maximum impact. By reaching out to the
 American public and the private sector, CIDI helps to promote activities
 and donations that will do the most good for disaster victims around the
 world. For more information about CIDI and helping international victims,
 please visit http://www.cidi.org or call 703-276-2942.
 
 

SOURCE Center for International Disaster Information