The U.S. government and other nations were sending personnel to assist Japan in its response to the earthquakes and tsunami that have devastated the country. U.S. aid groups were accepting private donations for relief efforts.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has sent two of its officials with expertise in boiling water nuclear reactors. They joined a disaster response team with the U.S. International Agency for International Development, the primary federal agency that provides assistance to countries struck by a disaster.
USAID also sent two urban search and rescue teams to Japan at the request of the Japanese government, the agency said. The 75-person rescue teams, each with six dogs trained to detect live victims, were joining rescue teams from Japan and other countries.
The Pentagon has sent a second U.S. aircraft carrier to Japan and ordered another ship to the region to help as needed.
Also providing assistance:
— Britain. A search and rescue team of more than 60 specialists, two rescue dogs and a medical support team. They will be deployed first thing Monday morning. The British ambassador and a team of consular staff were in Sendai to assess the level of damage and to help locate British nationals.
— France. About 100 people including rescue workers, civil security squads and a medical team, plus 11 counterparts from neighboring Monaco, have been dispatched. Japanese authorities have asked them to assist in clearing and rescue efforts, a French Foreign Ministry official.
— Germany. The state-run THW aid agency has sent a 36-member team of rescue experts with dog. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Germany has offered further help but that none has yet been requested.
— Italy, which was ready to offer rescue teams and other assistance. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said his country was awaiting word from the Japanese government on what precisely was needed and where it should be deployed.
U.S. organizations accepting donations to assist Japan included:
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)
Donations: 800-424-ADRA (2372)
Donations address: ADRA International, 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring MD 20904
Website: http://www.adra.org
All Hands Volunteers
Donations: 919-830-3573
Donations address: PO Box 546, Carlisle MA 01741
Website: http://www.hands.org/donate/japan-tsunami
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
Donations: 212-687-6200
Donations address: 132 E. 43rd St PO Box 530, New York NY 10017
Website: http://jdc.org
American Red Cross
Donations: 1-800-RED-CROSS
Donations address: PO Box 37243, Washington DC 20013
Website: http://www.redcross.org
AmeriCares
Donations: 203-658-9500
Donations address: 88 Hamilton Ave, Stamford CT 06902
Website: http://americares.org
Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT)
Donations: 301-738-7122
Donations address: AMURT, 2502 Lindley Ter, Rockville MD 20850
Website: http://amurt.us
Baptist World Alliance/Baptist World Aid
Donations: 703-790-8980
Donations address: 405 N. Washington St, Falls Church VA 22046
Website: http://www.bwanet.org
Brother's Brother Foundation
Donations: 412-321-3160
Donations address: 1200 Galveston Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15233
Website: http://brothersbrother.org
Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation
Donations: 1-888-989-8244
Donations address: Tzu Chi USA HQ, 1100 S Valley Center Ave, San Dimas CA 91773
Website: http://www.us.tzuchi.org/usa/home.nsf/other/donateCharity
Catholic Relief Services
Donations: 1-877-HELP-CRS
Donations address: PO Box 17090, Baltimore MD 21203-7090
Website: http://crs.org
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee
Donations: 800-55-CRWRC
Donations address: CRWRC, 2850 Kalamazoo Ave SE, Grand Rapids MI 49560-0600
Website: http://www.crwrc.org
Church World Service
Donations: 1-800-297-1516
Donations address: PO Box 968, Elkhart IN 46515
Website: http://www.churchworldservice.org
Direct Relief International
Donations: 805-964-4767
Donations address: 27 S. La Patera Ln, Santa Barbara CA 93117
Website: http://www.DirectRelief.org
Giving Children Hope
Donations: 714-523-4454
Donations address: 8332 Commonwealth Ave, Buena Park CA 90621
Website: http://gchope.org
Habitat for Humanity International
Donations: 1-800-Habitat
Donations address: 270 Peachtree St NW Suite 1300, Atlanta GA 30303-1263
Website: http://habitat.org
International Medical Corps
Donations: 800-481-4462
Donations address: 1919 Santa Monica Blvd Suite 400, Santa Monica CA 90404
Website: http://internationalmedicalcorps.org
International Rescue Committee
Donations: 1-877-REFUGEE (733-8433)
Donations address: 122 E. 42nd St, New York NY 10168
Website: http://www.rescue.org
Mercy Corps
Donations: 800-852-2100
Donations address: Dept. NR, PO Box 2669, Portland OR 97208
Website: https://www.mercycorps.org/donate/japan
Operation Blessing
Donations: 800-730-2537
Donations address: 977 Centerville Tpke, Virginia Beach VA 23463
Website: http://www.operationblessing.org
Relief International
Donations: 310-478-1200
Donations address: 5455 Wilshire Blvd Suite 1280, Los Angeles CA 90036
Website: http://www.ri.org
Save the Children
Donations: 1-800-728-3843
Donations address: 54 Wilton Rd, Westport CT 06880
Website: http://savethechildren.org
World Vision, U.S.
Donations: 1-800-777-5777
Donations address: Federal Way, WA 98063
Website: http://www.worldvision.org
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Source: InterAction, www.interaction.org
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