On January 12, 2010, Haiti suffered a devastation of tremendous proportions. Ten miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, the worst earthquake in 200 years hit the area. The damage amounts are still being calculated, but are currently at between $7.2 and $13.2 billion.
Losses of people have unfortunately been just as bad, with the current death toll at between 200,000 and 250,000 people. In a country as big as America, these damages, though incredibly significant, would only impact a single state or area; in the small country of Haiti, the disaster has left the entire country a wreck.
Electric and phone services immediately stopped working in the country. Food and water shortages ran rampant as thousands of displaced citizens sought shelter elsewhere. Nearly 9,000 people–peace keepers from the United Nations and troops from the United States–have been dispensed to Haiti t help–and many of them have even perished in the rubble as hospitals and other buildings collapsed.
Though initial efforts to distribute food and aid were a disaster in and of themselves, the U.N. eventually implemented a voucher system to allow everyone access to food–not just the strongest people who could crowd distribution lines first–though some estimate that only a third of those who need the food are actually getting it as scam artists make copies of tickets to re-use.
Help can be given to Haiti easily by texting “Haiti” to 90999. A ten dollar donation to the American Red Cross will be automatically deducted from the cell phone user’s bill. Many local and national efforts to raise funds are also being conducted nationwide.
Tags: haiti, haiti donations, haiti earthquake, how to help haiti, humanitarian aid