FBB launches drive in wake of earthquake in Ecuador

The hands that help are better far than lips that pray. – Robert Green Ingersoll Please help Foundation Beyond Belief put humanist compassion to work by sharing this post and donating what you can to help the people of Ecuador.

On Saturday, April 16th, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit about 17 miles (27km) from Muisne, Ecuador at a relatively shallow depth of 11.9 miles (19.2km). Shallow earthquakes create more damage because of their proximity to the earth’s surface. On Sunday evening, the government reported that 246 people had died and 2,527 were injured.

With estimates of at least $100 million dollars in damage, a state of emergency has been declared and the casualties and damage reports are expected to rise as the rescue effort is ongoing. Disaster relief organizations such as Team Rubicon, UNICEF, and International Medical Corps are watching the situation and are expected to mobilize soon, and the Ecuador Red Cross has already mobilized in the affected region.

The quake is Ecuador's largest since 1979 and is six times more powerful than the recent 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan. More than 130 aftershocks have followed. The cities of Manta, Portoviejo, and Pedernales have suffered the most casualties and damage, but there have been fatalities as far away as Guayaquil where an overpass collapsed. Foundation Beyond Belief will announce a beneficiary in the next 72 hours for the funds collected during this drive.

FBB has five years of experience finding and vetting local, secular organizations that are able to do the most good in the aftermath of these terrible disasters. As humanists, we know that it will take more than prayers to help the people of Ecuador stay safe now and to get back on their feet in the coming days and months following this earthquake. If you are able, please give and give generously. Now is the time to put humanist compassion to work. You can find more information, including how to donate, here.

Links:

https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/17/americas/ecuador-deadly-earthquake/index.html

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36067380

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20005j32#general

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20005j32#pager

Please note: Foundation Beyond Belief does not retain any portion of donations directed to our beneficiaries. If you wish to support the efforts of FBB itself, we are always grateful for direct donations.  Thank you! 

*Any recurring contributions for disaster recovery drives, or one-time contributions that are received after a given drive is closed, may be directed to FBB general funds. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis.​