United Way Notes Long-Term Community Needs Following Tsunami Disaster

United Way International, United Way of America, and local United Way affiliates in affected areas are working together with disaster response partners to assess and address the wide range long-term response and recovery needs of communities in southern Asia severely impacted by tsunami waves in recent days.

“The sweeping and long term impact of this disaster will require
assistance for years to come,” said Christine James-Brown, president and CEO of United Way International. “Although some of the immediate attention of local United Ways will be on supporting urgent needs like clean water, food and shelter, our collective focal point as a United Way system will be on long-term response and recovery.”

While the need for immediate relief is crucial to short-term recovery
efforts in the region, United Way hopes there will also be generous support for rebuilding the infrastructure on which these fragile fishing and tourist economies rely.

Not only are roads, and harbors and hotels reportedly in need of repair, but there have been disastrous losses of homes, schools, health clinics, and even the official computer files and records on which stability depends. Long-term recovery, United Way’s focus area, supports rebuilding lives, homes, businesses, and communities and takes time, care, and support.

The United Way South Asia Response Fund has been created to support these long-term recovery efforts and will be administered by United Way International. Individuals and corporations interested in donating funds for long-term recovery can make an online contribution by visiting: http://www.unitedway.org/tsunamiresponse or mailing a check or money order to:

United Way South Asia Response Fund
c/o United Way International
701 North Fairfax Street
Alexandria, Va., 22314, USA

All gifts are tax deductible in the U.S. For those interested in providing immediate relief assistance, United Way of America strongly encourages cash donations to responding disaster agencies
(versus material donations) as the most expedient and direct way to provide needed assistance to disaster victims.

A list of responding agencies accepting donations for immediate relief
assistance can be found at: http://www.interaction.org, the Web site for InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations.