Earthquake in Haiti - January 12, 2010
On January 12 at 1653 hours local time, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck southern Haiti. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake epicenter was located 10 miles southwest of the capital Port-au-Prince, West Department. Numerous significant aftershocks followed the initial quake. According to the U.N., the earthquake caused extensive infrastructure damage in Port-au-Prince, including to the Haiti presidential palace and the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti headquarters. Residential dwellings and transportation networks also sustained significant damage.
Information about the Earthquake in Haiti
More information about the earthquake and response efforts can be found at:
- Help for Haiti: The White House Blog
- US State Department: 2010 Earthquake in Haiti
- USAID Responds Immediately to Haiti Earthquake
- UN News Focus: Haiti
Ways to help
In addition to responses from governments, a number of international organizations have announced plans to respond to the earthquake in Haiti. Due to reports of fraudulent activity around aid request for Haiti, we recommend that donors make gifts directly to organizations via their secure websites or by calling or texting directly to phone numbers provided by organizations. For information about appropriate disaster relief volunteering offers visit the Center for International Disaster Information
- The American Red Cross is helping meet urgent needs for survivors of the recent earthquakes in Haiti, with more than $1 million already committed in support of response efforts. More than 20 staff members are on the ground or en route to support damage and needs assessments and distribute essential relief supplies. The American Red Cross has also made available relief supplies—hygiene kits, buckets, mosquito nets and kitchen sets—to assist up to 25,000 people. As needs are identified, the American Red Cross is prepared to mobilize additional support, including additional supplies, disaster workers or financial assistance. They are accepting donations through http://www.redcross.org/en/
- American Jewish World Service is collecting donations in response to Tuesday's massive earthquake in Haiti, which registered a 7.3 on the Richter scale. Donations to AJWS's "Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund" will enable AJWS's network of grantees in Haiti to meet the urgent needs of the population based on real-time, on-the-ground assessments. Contribute at: www.ajws.org/haitiearthquake
- CHF International will distribute food aid, water and shelter in the immediate aftermath, then we will focus on the needs of the people as they transition from basic survival to recovery. This includes some of CHF's areas of greatest expertise such as building 'transitional shelters'; temporary homes that meet international standards where a family can live during the recovery period; helping to generate livelihoods, by employing people in the clean up of their community; and aiding reconstruction efforts by creating earthquake resistant buildings. Website: http://www.chfinternational.org/node/33879
- Doctors Without Borders had personnel on the ground in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and has set up clinics to treat injured in Haiti. Donate to help support their efforts: http://doctorswithoutborders.org/
- Mercy Corps is sending a team of emergency responders to Haiti. The team will assess damage, and seek to fulfill immediate needs of quake survivors. The earthquake exacerbates an already dire humanitarian situation in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Plagued by hunger and political instability, the quake is likely to dramatically increase the needs of many impoverished Haitian families. Mercy Corps has a long history of helping earthquake survivors. The agency aided families after earthquakes in Peru in 2007, China and Pakistan in 2008, and Indonesia last year. Website: http://mercycorps.org
A more complete list of organizations responding to this crisis can be found at: http://www.interaction.org/crisis-list/earthquake-haiti