Published by: World Tibet Network News, Thursday, Mar 14, 1996

From: Office of Tibet March 12, 1996

A JOINT APPEAL FOR SNOWSTORM IN TIBET

By

the Office of Tibet in New York

&

International Campaign for Tibet in Washington, D.C.

Dear fellow countrymen,

Many of you may be aware of the sad reports coming out of Tibet concerning massive snow storms in certain regions of Kham and Amdo this winter. Available information indicate that 48 Tibetans have already died and several thousand more are facing starvation. In Jyekundo alone, 100,000 Tibetan herders and their families are facing starvation. While 16,000 Tibetans have suffered frostbite, 12,000 more are victims of snow-blindness. More than 700,000 livestock, the bread and butter of the Tibetan nomads, have perished. The snow storm is believed to be the worst in a hundred years. The situation is bad and unless emergency aid is provided, the condition of the Tibetans will worsen.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has donated US $15,000. We are happy to report that this fund has already reached the Tibetan people in Amdo and has proved beneficial. The Tibet Fund has also made a contribution of $5,000. which, too, has reached Tibetan hands.

More assistance is needed. This is an opportunity for us in the United States and Canada to do something concrete to help our fellow countrymen in Tibet. We appeal to each of you to donate whatever amount you can to assist the Tibetans in distress. Please do not think that your individual contribution will not make a difference to the lives of the people in the affected region. It will surely do. Now is the time for us to come to the aid of our brethren in Tibet.

We have already begun collecting additional funds. While both of us have made our own contributions, we also made a special appeal during the just-concluded Second Tibet Conference of the Americas in Washington, D.C. The response was encouraging.

We are now making this appeal to the general Tibetan community in the United States and Canada. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO WRITE A CHECK FOR YOUR COUNTRYMEN. A positive response from the Tibetans in exile will not only be of immediate help to the affected Tibetans, but will contribute greatly in cementing the bond between those of us in exile and our brethren inside Tibet.

Please write your check payable to Tibet Fund and send it to the following address:

Tibet Fund

241 East 32nd St.

New York, NY 10016

Lodi G. Gyari, Rinchen Dharlo

Special Envoy Representative