Campus Offers Disaster Victims Aid

From organizing benefit events to founding a group on thefacebook.com, members of the Harvard community are mobilizing to aid victims of the earthquake and tsunami that devastated wide swaths of Asia on Dec. 26 and killed over 155,000 people.

Although most students were off campus for winter vacation when the tidal wave struck, they swarmed e-mail lists voicing their concern and planning relief efforts that will now go into full swing as students return to Cambridge.

Rashmi J. Singh ’05 and three other students worked with Associate Dean of the College Judith H. Kidd to create a new organization, the Harvard University Tsunami Relief Effort, which will raise awareness about the disaster and collect funds for agencies such as UNICEF.

“Right now, though, our primary concern is to locate members of the Harvard community who were in those regions and to make sure that they are safe,” said Singh.

Existing student groups including the South Asian Association (SAA), Habitat for Humanity, House and Neighborhood Development (HAND) and House Committees (HoCos) have also organized relief efforts.

Prital S. Kadakia ’06, co-president of SAA, said the group spent the vacation planning fund-raisers as well as e-mailing its open list to offer support to students affected by the tsunami.

“We hope to reach out to those affected by this tragedy in any way possible, and those who have experienced difficulties reaching loved ones have contacted us in appreciation of our relief efforts so far,” said Kadakia.

Although Kadakia’s own family did not personally suffer from the earthquake or tsunami, he knew of students from Sri Lanka who spent the vacation helping their families and trying desperately to locate loved ones.

Beginning Jan. 10 and continuing throughout the semester, SAA will collect donations in boxes placed in House dining halls and campus restaurants. The group will also kick off its relief campaign with a benefit study break this Saturday in Ticknor Lounge. The event, ChaatHouse,