Supporting the DEC Tsunami Appeal
Please help to mend shattered lives and communities.
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"After the Tsunami: showing compassion"....
Some practical Information from Jenny Galushka
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Here in our peaceful corner of England we shall have no excuses if we are slow to offer help to people around us who have been affected by the tsunami disaster. As I write this we are not sure how many people from our area were there. But we are beginning to realise that we might expect to see injured people returning home. We can also imagine the anxiety and the grief of people living here, but whose family were in South East Asia or East Africa.
We want everyone who is affected to know that the people of Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole care about them as well. The local services will do all they can to find out about local needs and offer support. These are some of the local and national sources of help:
Missing relatives
The International Committee of the Red Cross has a “family links” web site which is to help those separated by conflict or disaster to find information about their loved ones in order to restore contact. The site is at:
www.icrc.org/home/webfamilylinks
Another helpful site is “Lonely Planet”
www.thorntree.lonelyplanet.com/categories.cfm?catid=68
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has set up an emergency help line for worried relatives and friends who want to check on UK travellers directly affected by the tsunami or to pass on information about them. The number is:
020 7008 000
Indonesian Task Force The Indonesian Embassy in London has responded by forming a task force to handle any enquiries. The task force is working 7 days a week to give specific information to ensure the swift processing of donations, visas, missing persons enquiries, among others. The task force can be contacted at the Indonesian embassy, Tel: 0207 499 7661.
Travel advice for affected countries
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office help line is 0870 606 0290
Local help – health services
If you have recently returned from the area affected, please visit your GP straight away if you have any symptoms of illness.
Your GP will also be able to help you make contact with services such as post-trauma support and bereavement services.
Local help – Dorset County Council
The County Council has made as much information as possible available through its web site. To find it, log on to:
www.dorsetcc.gov.uk/index.jsp?articleid=170118
Bournemouth Borough Council,, Dorset County Council and the Borough of Poole
All the Local Offices of Social Care and Health / Social Services will be able to point you to appropriate help if you prefer to speak to someone on the telephone. (See the local phone book.)
Poole Adult Services Help desk: 01202 633870 / 633869 / 633868
Bournemouth Care Direct: 01202 454979