Tsunami-Volunteers... work from Home

Would-be tsunami-aid volunteers urged to put in the effort at home JEN HORSEY

TORONTO (CP) - There has been such an outpouring of help for victims of last week's deadly tsunamis in south Asia that would-be volunteers are likely to encounter a busy signal if they place a call to an agency providing relief in the area.

The crisis has prompted an enormous response from Canadians who are willing to do anything they can to ease the suffering - including giving up their safe lives at home to venture into the heart of the crisis.

But aid agencies say now is not the time to head overseas.

"Simply because the situation is so chaotic," said Nicole Ireland, UNICEF spokeswoman. "I think to go to the crisis regions, that would be very difficult and would not make job of the field workers easier."

Red Cross personnel sent to huge disaster sites are generally specialists and all have been trained and entered into a database.

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