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Help MADRE provide emergency relief to women and families struggling to survive in the wake of December's tsunami.

Donate now. Please indicate "INFORM" in the notes field of the donation form.

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The December 26th earthquake in South Asia, which caused huge tidal waves from Malaysia to Africa, is one of the worst natural disasters ever. MADRE is working to help the survivors obtain the services they so desperately need in this terrible moment, and we need your support.

As I write, death tolls are rising hourly; already more than 150,000 deaths have been confirmed. The UN faces an unprecedented challenge in distributing aid to 10 countries at once. Millions of people are homeless. And the disaster zone is now threatened with outbreaks of disease caused by rotting bodies, broken sewage lines, and the destruction of water supplies.

According to the World Health Organization, "In the coming days, additional threats to human life such as diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections can be expected to arise from contaminated water sources". A UN health agency has warned that such outbreaks could double the death toll.

Sri Lanka and Indonesia are likely to have the greatest need for humanitarian support. In Sri Lanka alone over one million people have been displaced. Among them are tens of thousands of pregnant and nursing women, who are especially susceptible to waterborne diseases and require emergency medical attention and trauma counseling.

We know that this is a time to unite and work with organizations that have the broadest reach possible. That's why MADRE has chosen to partner with INFORM, a human rights organization based in Sri Lanka. In the present post-tsunami crisis, INFORM is working with women's networks on women-specific issues. They are also working separately on other issues that have to do with participation of all affected communities, including women, in decisions regarding resettlement and reconstruction and ensuring that land allocation for resettlement is done without prejudice or discrimination.

Our partners tell us that medicines, doctors, and clean water are needed urgently. With your tax-deductible donation, MADRE will help establish and equip emergency health centers where:

• survivors can receive the emergency medical attention and clean drinking water they so desperately require and
• displaced women and families can receive crucial trauma counseling, which will help them cope with the deaths of their children and other loved ones, gradually heal from their trauma, and begin to rebuild.

Alone, we can't do much to help. But together, our power is multiplied and we can make a real difference. Don�t wait. Send as generous a gift as you possibly can right now, so that MADRE can help the survivors of the worst natural disaster in recent history.

Sincerely,

Vivian Stromberg
Executive Director

P.S. Women in Sri Lanka turned to MADRE because they know that we will respond. Your support can literally make the difference between life and death. Please respond today.

Yes, I want to help MADRE and INFORM provide emergency medical attention and trauma counseling for survivors of the South Asian tsunamis. Please indicate "INFORM" in the notes field of the donation form.