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Earthquake in Italy, help needed

In the night between the 5th and 6th of April 2009, at 3.33 am local time, a strong earthquake struck central Italy, about 90 km E from Rome, near a town call L’Aquila.

Major damage has been suffered by the town, but even more devastating has been the complete destruction of the many, small, impoverished villages spread throughout this mountainous area.

Almost 300 people lost their life in the earthquake, due to the night time of the event and the nature of the terrain where the villages where built. Over 40,000 people are now homeless.
Rescue crews are still in action and bringing help to the people. Even as the aid has started immediately and Italy, as a well developed country, has excellent infrastructures to deal with such natural disaster, people will live in tents and mobile-homes for a long time and the complete reconstruction will take up to a decade.

Major towns with historical buildings and artistic treasures will have the priority in the reconstruction, but minor villages, some of those suffering the largest destruction, will wait a long time before being able to come back to every-day life. People in these villages are usually farmers and families with limited economic means, who lost everything in the disaster.

Side-by-side with the Italian government, several institution and charity association are on the ground, struggling to reach the people with the largest needs who can not leave their towns to get to the help centers.

The aid workers support themselves with their own money, but donations are needed to provide help to the population.

Here below is a list of organization that are now operating on the ground and that can be supported with donations.

 

Organization: Caritas Italiana (http://www.caritas.org/)

·          Credit cards:
https://secure.caritas.org/donation.aspx?DonationTo=E&Emergency=11

·          Money transfer:
Bank:               UNICREDIT BANCA DI ROMA S.P.A.
Bank account:   IT19 W030 6905 0921 0000 0000 012
BIC:                 BROMITR1707 – For International transaction
Specify:            Terremoto Abruzzo (that means Abruzzo eathquake, so the organization can recognize the purpose of the donation).

Organization: Protezione civile (http://www.protezionecivile.it/index.php)

·          Money transfer:

Bank:               UNICREDIT BANCA DI ROMA - Agency Roma Cavour B
Bank account:   IT72U0300205207000401124180
Swift code        BROMITR1708
ENTERED:      Protezione Civile Nazionale - Emergenza Terremoto L'Aquila
See: http://www.protezionecivile.it/cms/view.php?cms_pk=15409&dir_pk=52

This page will be frequently update to give news, images and info

  Work in progress!!