Hurricane Relief in Mexico

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in early October 2005 Tropical Storm Stan flooded the Mexican states of Veracruz, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Puebla, Hidalgo, and Guerrero, killing 15 people and displacing 370,000. Approximately 1.5 million people were affected.

OCHA also reported that on October 25, 2005 Hurricane Wilma caused severe flooding in the Mexican states of Quintana Roo and Yucatán, killing 7 people, affecting more than 1 million, and displacing approximately 300,000 people in Cancún alone.

Restoration of the damage on the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico is estimated to be about $2 billion. Because of Hurrican Wilma, Goldman Sachs lowered its estimate for economic growth in Mexico this year from 2.8 to 2.5 percent.

USAID: Latin America and the Caribbean - Hurrican Season 2005

How to make a donation:

American Red Cross International Response Fund
Donate to the International Response Fund. You can help those affected by countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. Making a financial contribution is the best way to help. To make a donation:

Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish)

Make a secure, online donation at:

www.redcross.org

http://www.cruzrojamexicana.org/donativos/index.php

Contact your local Red Cross chapter.

Mail a Donation to:

American Red Cross
P.O. Box 37243
Washington, D.C. 20013

The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate a donation for a specific disaster please do so at the time of donation.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
Your generous gift to UMCOR Advance #982523, Hurricanes 2005 will help those affected by this year's hurricanes. If you would like your donation to go to those affected by a specific hurricane or a specific region, please note that in the memo line of your check. You can give online at

www.methodistrelief.org

You can give over the phone at:

1-800-554-8583

or by mailing a check directly to:

UMCOR
P.O. Box 9068
New York , NY 10087-9068

Checks should be written to UMCOR with the Advance number (Advance #982523) and name written on the memo line of your check.

Others:
Below, you will find information on bank accounts that the Embassy of Mexico in Washington and the Governments of Chiapas and Quintana Roo have set up to donate funds for reconstruction (the Mexican Consulate in San Diego confirmed this information):

I. The Embassy of Mexico in Washington set up the following Wells Fargo account:

Mexico Hurricane Stan Relief Fund
Number 7733146166 in the Wells Fargo Bank

This bank account was set up by the Embassy of Mexico in Washington. All funds deposited into this account will be transferred to non-governmental organizations such as the Mexican Red Cross. The funds will be channeled to the victims of hurricane Stan. You can find more information at:

http://portal.sre.gob.mx/usa/

II. The Government of Chiapas has set up the following four accounts in Mexican banks. All accounts have the following beneficiary: "GOBIERNO DEL ESTADO DE CHIAPAS PRO DAMNIFICADOS"
1) Bank: BANCOMER - Account Number: 00149168338
2) Bank: BANORTE - Account Number: 00195581324
3) Bank: SANTANDER SERFIN - Account Number: 65501811915
4) Bank: BANAMEX - Account Number: 01790116212

III. The Government of Quintana Roo has set up two bank accounts:

A) Beneficiary: DIF ESTATAL (AYUDA DAMNIFICADOS HURACAN WILMA)
Bank: BBVA BANCOMER
Account Number: 012690001493935448
SWIFT Code: BCMRMXMMPYM

You can make a deposit to this account from the US by JP MORGAN CHASE BANK. The information is:
ABA 021000021
SWIFT CODE: CHASSUS33
Web code: 012690001493935448

B) Beneficiary: SISTEMA PARA EL DESARROLLO INTEGRAL DE LA FAMILIA DEL ESTADO DE QUINTANA ROO.
Bank: HSBC
Bank Account: 4032030900

To make a transfer from other Mexican bank or by internet: 021690040320309005

To make international transfers: 0216900403203009005
SWIFT CODE: BIMEMXMM.