Ike Accountability A Big Task - Please Support Disaster Accountability Now...

Friends,

The Disaster Accountability Project is closely monitoring the Hurricane Ike disaster relief/response effort (or lack of).

In the last 24 hours, we've received over 40 Ike-related calls on our toll-free Disaster Accountability Hotline.

In the last 24 hours, we've also been on live radio (see link below) in Houston three times to talk about our work.

While the information we receive about service gaps on the Hotline helps us advocate for better disaster relief services, we've already returned a number of calls to Hotline callers, providing valuable information that is unavailable to most on the ground.

Please help the Disaster Accountability Project continue our important Accountability work.

Donate Here: http://www.disasteraccountability.org/contribute

One caller reported that he did not know where to go to use a nebulizer for his asthma. The first hospital he visited was closed. We found a hospital with an available nebulizer. He called our Hotline later in the day to thank us-- he sounded much healthier and reported another issue.

Many callers reported that they do not know where to find shelters. One mother, with a special needs child needed access to electricity for her child's medical treatment, while others needed insulin refrigeration or more oxygen. Without power, Houstonians do not have any information about locations of shelters and the problem is compounded by the lack of shelter availability.

Another caller reported that her brother was stranded in a flooded apartment complex for people with disabilities, the staff had abandoned the complex and she was worried about their safety. We promptly called her back and instructed her to call 911.

These are just a few of the many calls we received today.

Please help the Disaster Accountability Project continue our important Accountability work.

Donate Here: http://www.disasteraccountability.org/contribute

We have been learning a lot about Ike disaster response/relief efforts from our Hotline messages and followup conversations. The information received will help people on the ground right now and it will also help with us prepare a report that we will share with Congress, the Government Accountability Office, and others, when hearings are conducted to discuss the very clear, significant gaps in disaster response/relief services taking place right now.

Thank you for your continuous support,

Ben Smilowitz

Check Out Bro. Ben Smilowitz on

*W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Special~Never Forget: Hurricane Katrina Three Years Later...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2008/08/31/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-News-Radio

PS: Last week, the Disaster Accountability Project was profiled in the Hartford Courant. The article is available here:
http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-ctdap0906.artsep06,0,2762900.story

PPS: Also, one of the Houston radio interviews (only 15mb MP3) is available here:

http://free.mailbigfile.com/7f15645ee07464813eb95ffd0bb4356c/listFiles.php

PPPS: If you'd like to see a compilation of most of our Hotline calls, check out DAP's blog at:
http://blog.disasteraccountability.com/category/hurricane-ike

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Ben Smilowitz
Director, Disaster Accountability Project
office: 860-216-1186
mobile: 314-761-7631
Ben@DisasterAccountability.org
http://www.DisasterAccountability.org

**Disaster Accountability Project is a 2008 Echoing Green Fellow Organization**
For more information: http://www.echoinggreen.org/fellows/ben-smilowitz