Disaster in Haiti

The 7.0 earthquake and it's aftershocks that shook the capitol of Haiti Tuesday has injured thousands of Haitians and left many homeless without food, water, and electricity. The Red Cross estimates more than 50,000 lives were claimed by the disaster and that estimate is considered to be on the conservative side. Local authorities expect numbers of over 100,000. While food and aid were quickly pledged by countries all over the world, it has been slow to trickle in due to the damage to the sea port and the roads. While Haitians are enduring, many are growing desperate and have turned to looting to get the things they need to survive.
Anderson Cooper covers a huge amount of the disaster on CNN. I was struck by this one segment he reported on the mass graves. There is video and a written article on the issue as well.
Below is a slide show of photos I chose from Yahoo News and CNN that most clearly depict the situation in Haiti. Please be advised that there are some disturbing images and I would not encourage children to watch it.

Haitians need our help badly! Aside from prayers, there are many things we can do to contribute to their survival and recovery.

1. Donate to the Red Cross. You can go to their website or you can donate via text message by texting the word "haiti" to 90999. $10 will be added to your next month's phone bill should you choose the texting method and can be repeated twice for a maximum total of $30 donation. This is perfect for those (like me!) who are low on cash or in between paychecks!

2. Donate to UNICEF. UNICEF is the United Nations' disaster relief and they specifically are helping the children in Haiti. If you do not wish to donate online, you can call 1-800-FOR-KIDS.

3. Give to the World Food Programme. Also a UN organization, the World Food Programme is working against the clock to provide much needed sustenance for the thousands of Haitians left homeless by the quake. Donations are accepted online.

4. Donate to Doctors Without Borders. Doctors Without Borders (Medicins Sans Frontieres) is opening emergency hospitals and sending out emergency response teams throughout Port au Prince to help during this disaster. Doctors Without Borders is accepting donations online.

5. Give to Mercy Corps! Mercy Corps is focusing on getting clean water to Haiti. Clean, safe drinking water is very difficult to come by in natural disasters such as this, so getting potable water to people is crucial! Mercy Corps not only takes donations online, but also over the telephone 1-888-256-1900 or by mailing (see website for details)!

There are many other great foundations and organizations that are helping in Haiti as well that you may wish to donate to. Just be sure to check into the details on how much of the money you donate actually goes to Haiti. You can also check your local food banks or place of worship to see about food and clothing donations!