by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) By now, most everyone is aware of the massive and devastating 8.9 earthquake that recently hit off the east coast city of Honshu, Japan, and the monstrous tsunami that followed. Combined with continuing aftershocks and several other earthquake incidents that occurred both before and after what has been dubbed the biggest earthquake to hit Japan in recorded history, much of the nation has been left in ruin. Homes and businesses have been leveled, and many people are missing, injured, or dead. These people need our help, and if you feel compelled to help support emergency aid efforts in Japan, NaturalNews has a few trustworthy options you may want to consider.

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, a credible organization to which NaturalNews has made numerous donations on previous occasions, has set up a relief center in response to the disaster (http://tw.tzuchi.org/en/index.php?o...). The center is providing victims with hot food, snacks, internet access to contact their loved ones, and a place to rest or sleep. To make a financial donation to the Tzu Chi Foundation, visit:
http://www.us.tzuchi.org/usa/home.n...

The Salvation Army in Japan has also sent a team to the most damaged city of Sendai to provide basic necessities for victims there, and to assess the situation to see what else they can do to help. This group has long been on the ground around the world providing relief for those in need. You can donate to the Salvation Army efforts by visiting:
http://www.disaster.salvationarmyus...

As far as the current situation, crews are still rummaging through the wreckage near the areas hit hardest by the disaster in order to assess the full extent of the damage. Tens of thousands of people have been reported missing, thousands of others have been found dead, and the overall destruction is immense. The Boston Globe says that roughly 9,500 people from the town of Minamisanriku, which represents roughly half of the town's total population, are missing (http://www.boston.com/news/source/2...). Another report from CNN states that more than 5.1 million homes are without power, and the Japanese Defense Ministry has deployed 190 aircraft and 25 ships to aid in relief efforts (http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/03/1...).

You can read a full report of the events surrounding the earthquake and tsunami by visiting:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiap...