The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged $3 million and Amazon.com has raised more than $3.5 million in online donations to provide aid to South Asian countries devastated by an earthquake and tsunamis. Many in the Seattle area have come forward to help as millions of U.S. dollars flow to relief agencies around the world to supply food, water, shelter and health care to the region. Thousands have been displaced by the quake and subsequent tsunamis that struck a dozen countries from Thailand to Somalia. Microsoft's company offices in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India are working with relief organizations, a spokeswoman told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The company also is encouraging employees to contribute. Under an existing program, Microsoft matches charitable donations by its U.S. employees.
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