Mexico Earthquake: How to help

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Mexico on Tuesday. The quake hit Puebla state, but caused major damage in Mexico city and a vast swath of the country.

Updates from NPR:

The head of Mexico’s civil defense agency said early Wednesday that 225 people had died in the temblor, in toppled buildings across five states and in the capital.

In Mexico City, where the agency says 94 people died, search efforts took on particular intensity at a collapsed school. Escuela Enrique Rebsamen — a school geared toward children ages 3 to 14, according to Reuters — caved in on dozens of students and their teachers Tuesday.

Here’s a good overview of how to help.

The quickest way to help is to make a monetary donation. Here are some organizations with bases in Mexico that are working to get immediate relief to those who need it:

Direct Relief

Unicef Mexico

Project Paz

Charity Watch has guidelines on what to look for in a charity.

If you have family in Mexico

If you have family in Mexico, here’s a comprehensive list of how to help, where to get help and immediate needs.

KCRW is helping

As part of KCRW’s current membership drive, we will send 5 percent of every dollar we raise today to Direct Relief, an organization with a base in Mexico City that gathers medical donations from the United States and within Mexico to provide medical assistance to health providers.

Donors don’t need to request anything special. They can take their regular thank-you gifts and give to the Food Bank as well.

(Photo: Sep. 20 2017, Soldiers, rescuers and people work at a collapsed building after an earthquake in Mexico City, Mexico. by Ginnette Riquelme/Reuters)