While the town of Eden has heaved a sigh of relief after rains over it, the condition is far from being in control in the rest of Australia.
Australia is experiencing one of the deadliest bushfires in decades and a total of 24 people, including firefighters and volunteers have died nationwide, and in the state of New South Wales (NSW) alone, more than 2,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged, reports CNN. Not to mention, a staggering 500 million animals are feared lost.
Disturbing and saddening photos and videos from the country have flooded the internet, leaving the entire world aghast. While many volunteers are working relentlessly to bring the situation under control, nothing seems to be enough to mitigate this natural havoc. Also, firefighting facilities and assistance from different countries, including the United States, are being employed to fight the massive blazes.
Experts believe that persistent heat and drought can be one of the factors for the disaster. Many also believe that global climate change has a lot to do to make the situation worse. According to state agency Victoria Emergency, natural causes like lightning strikes in drought-affected areas started the wildfire in July last year. "Any lightning strikes in dry, drought-affected forests have the potential to quickly become fires that threaten lives and homes," quotes Victoria Emergency.
In total, more than 7.3 million hectares (17.9 million acres) have been burned across Australia's six states - an area larger than the countries of Belgium and Denmark combined. The worst-affected state is NSW, with more than 4.9 million hectares (12.1 million acres) burned, reports CNN.
People from around the world desperately want to contribute to saving the planet but many don't know how they could do that from halfway across the world. Therefore, here are certain ways in which you could make a difference.
1) The state of New South Wales is particularly at risk from the last few days; you could donate to the local firefighters who have been working non-stop to contain the fire, putting their own lives at risk.
2) You could also show your support to the families of the firefighters who lost their lives trying to save lives.
3) One of the most heartwrenching parts of the disaster is the loss of millions of animals. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in NSW is helping with the evacuation and rescue of the animals caught in the wildfire. Help and support them.
4) You could also donate to the Australia Red Cross which has helped 1,285 staff - members and volunteers and has displaced people sheltering in more than 69 evacuation and recovery centers. The Red Cross also provides emergency grants to help people cover their immediate needs.
5) The Salvation Army has a disaster appeal donation page set up to deliver support to local communities affected by the blazes.
6) Seeing the Koalas suffer in the deadly fire has left the world heavy-hearted. You could do your bit in making sure the rescued Koalas are being looked after by donating to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, which has rescued more than 30 injured koalas and is at work building drinking stations for wildlife in impacted regions across NSW.
7) People living in Australia can donate to GIVIT- an organization that works to match donated goods with the ones that are specifically requested by the victims.
References:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90448563/7-ways-to-help-victims-of-australias-deadly-wildfires-right-now
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/01/australia/australia-fires-explainer-intl-hnk-scli/index.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/06/world/australia/help-australia-fires.html
https://emergency.vic.gov.au/news-and-media/fires-likely-to-impact-communities-in-east-gippsland
