Earthquake Coverage

As medical and relief agencies rush to Iran, I am searching on Google News to see which sites are providing updated newsfeeds and facilitating donations. One of the few Iranian sites that comes up in the search is IranMania.com, which has offices in Tehran and London.

The site has news stories, information on direct foreign currency contribution to Iran, and links to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (http://www.ifrc.org).

The IFRC site has updated press releases, an appeal for funds, and a form for making online donations via WorldPay. This is a great example of the Internet at its best, circulating updated news and channelling concern and aid during a crisis. Let this be a wake-up call for launching online strategies in news media, relief organizations and government agencies in other disaster-prone areas of the world as well.

What a grim way to begin the New Year.