Octavio has been blogging about the tsunami events from a crisis PR point of view. A lot of interesting information there. I was thinking that this will be a case study students will be reading for years to come. See this article in The Times of India – and this one too, for example.

If you wish to help those affected by the disaster, giving to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent may be the best way to help for all of us so far away and feeling helpless to reach out. Their site has an appeal for donations.

Another group that is sending relief – as in medical supplies, Doctors and Nurses – and could use donations is Doctors Without Borders. Their site is experiencing very heavy traffic so I don’t know if the site is up.

Relief agencies are suggesting that cash is the best way to help. I agree.

Think about it. If you gather together all sorts of supplies in the US, for instance … how is it going to get there? The cost alone of shipping anything bulk to Southeast Asia would likely dwarf the value of anything you would collect. So, your contribution actually becomes devalued – or wasted. It would cost more to ship than it actually cost to buy.

A $10 gift online may well do more than any $100 of supplies you might gather together.

Give cash.

Let the relief agencies buy supplies in the surrounding areas and thereby provide more relief. Sorry, but that really is the only thing that makes sense to me.