Devasting Earthquake in Haiti

This post was written by admin on January 14, 2010
Posted Under: Travel Advisories

On Tuesday January 12, 2010 a major earthquake struck the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Thousands are feared dead and injured, as devastation was seen throughout this poor Island Nation.

The Caribbean Nation of Haiti is considered to be the poorest country in the western hemisphere. A look at some quick estimates reveals the severity of the problems facing Haiti. 60% Unempolyment, 80% of the population live below poverty lines and around 50% of the population is illiterate. Add into this mix a natural disaster of epic proportions and it is easy to see that Haiti needs our help.

It would appear as though The Dominican Republic has been unaffected by the quake in Haiti. They were also the first country to provide aid to Haiti in the earthquake’s aftermath. The 7.0 quake was strong enough to be felt 200 miles away in on the neighboring island of Cuba.

The American Red Cross is sending money, supplies and staff to Haiti to support relief efforts there after yesterday’s earthquake, which caused catastrophic damage and loss of life.

According to reports, as many as three million people may have been affected by the quake, which collapsed government buildings and caused major damage to hospitals in the area.

The Red Cross is contributing an initial $1 million from the International Response Fund to support the relief operation, and has opened its warehouse in Panama to provide tarps, mosquito nets and cooking sets for approximately 5,000 families.

In addition to Red Cross staff already in Haiti, six disaster management specialists are being deployed to the disaster zone to help coordinate relief efforts. At this time, the American Red Cross is only deploying volunteers specially trained to manage international emergency operations.

Redcross.org 1/13/10

Anyone wishing to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake is encouraged to donate to the Red Cross. Donations can be made in several ways: