Australia is burning. While the rest of the world has been celebrating the festive season and ringing in a new decade, it is certainly heartbreaking to learn about the massive destruction of habitat and loss of millions of lives in the bushfires across Australia that has displaced thousands of people and wildlife.
So far, the devastating fires have burned through more than 11 million acres of land since September and caused the death of 27 people. Not just that, it is reported that thousands of unfortunate victims have been injured with low availability of food and water while 1 billion animals have now died from this tragedy, including 8,000 koalas, according to WWF Australia. The death toll is expected to increase as the fires show no sign of abating.
Amid the devastation, it is heartening to see the outpouring of generosity and concern in the wake of this crisis. The bushfires have attracted donations and support from around the country and across the world and the public is working from near and far to help with recovery.
As rescue efforts continue, many celebrities flock to the social media and use their reach to support the victims and speak about the global climate awareness. At the same time, there’s an increasing number of celebrities, businessmen and sportpeople have also taken notice of Australia’s plight and are offering up large donations to assist with fire prevention and to fund rebuilding efforts which include billionaire businessman James Packer ($3.4 million), Sir Elton John ($1 million), Nicole Kidman ($500,000), Pink ($500,000), Kylie Minoque ($500,000), Kylie Jenner ($1 million), Lewis Hamilton ($500,000) and Metallica ($750,000). Many others, including fashion brand Balenciaga, Russell Crowe, Naomi Watts, Margot Robbie and Selena Gomez have donated undisclosed/unconfirmed amounts while also taking to social media to appeal to their fans for help.
While most of us cannot match the financial might demonstrated by our screen heroes, we can still do our part to help. Here are the links to donate to the local state fire services, animal welfare organisations and the Red Cross:
New South Wales Rural Fire Service
South Australia Country Fire Service
Victoria Country Fire Authority
RSPCA Victoria
