Help Indonesia Recover from Earthquake Disaster

Jared Herb of Manta Dive on the island of Gili Trawangan, reports from Bali, where he fled for safety, that an earthquake last month has done serious damage in Indonesia's Gili Islands . But it is even worse in nearby Lombok, where many of the staff from Gili dive centers live -- most of their homes were destroyed.

The Guardian reports the earthquake, which centered on northern Lombok, left at least 321 people dead, 1,033 seriously injured and 270,000 people displaced from their homes . Indonesia's disaster and rescue agencies expect the death toll to rise further.

The sudden exodus of tourists from the islands leaves the future of diving uncertain . Sander Buis, the Dutch owner of Oceans 5 Dive on Gili Air, said that there was nobody left . "Just hundreds of bikes dumped at the airport ."As of now, diving in the Gilis and Lombok is canceled while dive shop staffers focus on efforts to raise money for basic supplies for their families . Teams from all the dive shops are doing clean up, in Lombok running supplies, and in Bali coordinating those supplies.

Help with the relief effort by giving donations to vetted nonprofits that are helping local organizations buy supplies and start rebuilding efforts, such as Red Cross (www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/lombokindonesia-earthquake-appeal), CARE (www.care. org.au/appeals/bali-lombok-earthquake-emergency) and Global Giving (www.globalgiving.org/projects/ indonesia-earthquake-relief-fund).