Yesterday, Mexico was shaken by a 7.1 earthquake that so far has left more than 200 dead and thousands injured. The epicenter was in the state of Puebla, which is about 120km (75 miles) from Mexico City, but it also affected the states of Morelos, Mexico, Oaxaca, and Guerrero.
Dozens of buildings fell down and people are still trapped inside the rubble. Authorities, emergency workers, military personnel, and volunteers are doing their best to save as many people as possible, but we still need your help.
At least 209 schools were affected, two million people in the capital don’t have electricity and phone lines, thousands have been left without a home, and the number of people affected grows by the minute.
If you live outside of Mexico and want to help, here are a few things you can do:
- Donate to Los Topos Mexicanos: Los Topos (‘The Moles’) are a rescue team dedicated to helping people in natural disasters. Right now, they are trying to rescue those trapped inside the buildings and rubble. They exist only through donations. For more information on how to donate you can visit their website and Twitter account. Other organizations you can help are the Mexican Red Cross and Save the Children Mexico.
- If you know anyone who lives in Mexico, let them know about the products needed and the volunteer programs. You may know a friend who’s there on holiday and is able to donate medication and products that are being requested at the moment. Just go to Twitter and see the updated lists that are being posted under #AyudaCDMX.
- Social Media: Raise awareness. Tell other people about it. Let them know what they can do to help and how to do it. Talk to your friends and find out more ways of helping Mexico and those affected by the earthquake. If more people know about it, if more people care, it will be easier to help those in need. A simple retweet can help find a missing person so don’t hesitate about doing it.
- Tolerance: If you know anyone from Mexico or anyone with family in Mexico, talk to them. Let them know you are there for them. This may not seem like a huge thing to do, but trust me when I say that they may feel incredibly impotent. Incredibly sad and lost. So please tell them it’s going to be okay. Sometimes those words are all we need.
You can help the people in Mexico get back on their feet after this devastating event. Right now, you may be reading this from your bedroom. You can go to the kitchen and grab a snack. You can call your parents, your friends. You have a roof over your head and a comfortable bed. So help those who lost those things. Think about them, think about ways you can help and do them. Let’s not turn away from others in the face of danger.
If you want to find more about the earthquake, read the 32nd Anniversary of Another Devastating Earthquake.
DISCLAIMER: Some of the websites and tweets are in Spanish. I can translate anything you need — just contact me.
