I’m sure you have heard about the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti. The quake struck before 5pm on Tuesday, about 10 miles southwest of the capitol Port-au-Prince. It was a 7.0 in magnitude on the Richter Scale and destroyed much of the infrastructure. The death toll in the country is unknown. Many parts of the capital are without power or communications. Hospitals in the area are not functioning.
Relief programs are scrambling to bring aid to a country in ruins.
Two organizations trying to help are Doctors Without Borders (donate to Doctors Without Borders here) and the American Red Cross (donate here).
From the Doctor’s Without Borders site:
The first reports are now emerging from MSF teams who were already working on medical projects Haiti and have treated hundreds of people injured in the quake. “The situation is chaotic,” said one senior staff. “I visited five medical centers, including a major hospital, and most of them were not functioning.”
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The American Red Cross has a program that allows you to donate via text. You can send a $10 donation by texting ‘Haiti’ to 90999. The donation will be added to your cell bill.
It’s unfortunate but there are those that will use this tragedy to scam people out of their money. Beware any emails, texts, and messages in general asking you to donate. When in doubt, go to the charity’s site directly to see what you can do to help.
Additional organizations that are helping can be found at:
Safe Donations to Victims of the Earthquake in Haiti – Consumerism Commentary
Haiti Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help
Haiti Disaster Relief: How to Contribute – The Lede Blog – NYTimes.com
