“Aiding Tsunami Casualties, a Nationwide Duty”

Domestic responses to help the South Asia earthquake and tsunami victims have become active.

A launch of private citizen groups for the “National Campaign to Help Asia’s Earthquake Crisis” occurred yesterday, and the material support of companies has increased.

Thirty civic groups such as Good Hands for Global, Up Korea, Global Civic Sharing, and the Korean Medical Association held a press conference at the New International Hotel, Seoul yesterday and announced that they are launching a campaign to aid tsunami victims.

Buddhist priest Wolju explained, “Although many countries and aid groups are launching aid and support campaign for the crisis, a worldwide level strategy is most needed due to the large size of the crisis.”

They said, “As representatives of civic groups, religious organizations, volunteer groups, and economic groups are participating in the campaign, the nation as a whole should take part in fund raising.”

Emergency medical support group, compromised of the Korean Medical Association and the Korean Hospital Association, are sending doctors to Banda Aceh, Indonesia tomorrow for 10 days. In this action, 19 drug companies such as Dong Shin Pharm. and Huons and Johnson and Johnson Medical and Oxy supported by sending 572 million won worth of cash and medical products.

There are floods of calls into many aid groups asking about methods to donate and volunteer.

Korea Food for the Hungry International’s Choi Soo-young said, “There are hundreds of phone calls for sending donations. Half of the fund raised comes from mobile phone settlements.”

The Korean Red Cross raised 1.7 billion won through ARS phone and internet fund raising until yesterday, and said it is also receiving underwear, powdered milk, and medical products.

In the business world, clothing company E Land is launching an aid campaign with 1,600 Sri Lanka branch employees. These employees will assemble an aid kit comprised of medicine and emergency food with $50,000 sent by the main office and will send them to Korean Embassy in Sri Lanka tomorrow.

CJ is planning to send $50,000 worth of aid products such as food and medicine and $50,000 in cash through its Indonesia branch. It is also planning to launch an activity to prevent epidemics by sending 10 workers to the affected area. Furthermore, it is supporting 940 boxes of ready-to-go food (worth 20 million won) as the meals for Korean official volunteering group.

Hyundai Construction donated 100 million won raised by its employees to the Korea Red Cross yesterday. It is will send 16 heavy equipments (worth $135,000) for reconstruction through its hydraulic power plant construction site in Renun, Indonesia.

Hanwha Group, to help tsunami-affected Sri Lanka, gave 100 million won worth of medical products produced by its allied company, Dream Pama, to an international aid group, World Vision, yesterday.

Kumho Asiana Group donated $100,000 to the Korea Red Cross for restructuring tsunami-affected Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Yi-Young Cho Im-Sook Ha lycho@donga.com artemes@donga.com