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A call to action for Web publishers, ad networks, and all Internet advertisers and marketers to donate advertising inventory and funds to support the relief efforts.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is requesting tax-deductible donations to the U.S. fund for UNICEF to help rush relief assistance to the countries hardest hit by massive ocean flooding following the December 26th earthquake: Sri Lanka, Indonesia and many others.
Aid is pouring into the relief effort with the International Red Cross reporting $43.7 million in donations in the first four days after the earthquake and tsunami struck. The Los Angeles Times reported that UNICEF's online fundraising netted $5.3 million last Thursday. Kintera Inc., a technology firm that provides fund raising software for non-profit organizations, estimates more than $350 million has been donated.
iMedia asks the interactive media community to support UNICEF’s relief efforts. You can help by donating money and your valuable ad inventory by running UNICEF tsunami aid banners on your sites. The donated funds will help the hundreds of thousands of people who survived the tsunamis but now need shelter, water, medical supplies and other urgent assistance.
"Hundreds of thousands of people fought to survive the tsunamis. Now we need to help them survive the aftermath. We're concerned about providing safe water, which is urgent in all these countries, and about preventing the spread of disease. For children, the next few days will be the most critical," says Carol Bellamy, executive director, UNICEF.
"These UNICEF online banners directly link to a donation page for the tsunami rescue effort. Sri Lanka and Indonesia were the two countries worst hit by the disaster and hundred thousands of children are in jeopardy. We advise advertisers to read our linking agreement before taking a banner and all the contributions will be ear-marked for the tsunami relief effort," says Tatiana Shulzycki, Internet marketing manager, UNICEF.
In Sri Lanka, UNICEF has already responded to government request for shelter supplies, providing more than 30,000 blankets and sleeping mats as well as t-shirts and other articles of clothing from local emergency stocks. UNICEF Sri Lanka expects to issue an appeal for some $6 million to help meet urgent needs for Sri Lanka's children. Half of Sri Lanka's 25 districts were directly affected by the tsunamis.
In Indonesia, UNICEF staff members are part of a larger UN assessment team that has headed into Aceh province to identify urgent needs. In the Maldives, which were hit hard by the tsunamis, UNICEF and UN sister agencies are working with the government. The coordinated international relief effort includes the immediate provision of water purification supplies, food, clothing for children, shelter supplies, and other basics.
"It's been extraordinary in the response UNICEF has been getting from the broadcast community that continuously mentions our relief efforts and Web site. Our conversion rates from visitors to donators on the site has been phenomenal," says Shulzycki.
Please help through donating funds and valuable online space by running the UNICEF banners.
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