In light of the utter devastation caused by the massive earthquake in Haiti yesterday, we wanted to pass along some information to people looking for ways to help with the relief effort.
USAID is coordinating the U.S. response, under the direction of its new Administrator, Dr. Rajiv Shah, and its website has information about the relief teams deployed and about the kinds of contributions needed: “Monetary donations are the most effective form of assistance because they allow humanitarian organizations to purchase (often within the affected region itself) the exact type and quantity of items needed by those affected by the crisis.”
To donate $10 to the Red Cross, text "HAITI" to "90999.” ($10 will be charged to your monthly phone bill.) This method of donation comes recommended by both USAID and the White House.
President Obama’s remarks from a special briefing on the earthquake tragedy are available here, and video of an informative morning press conference by State Department Counselor Cheryl Mills, USAID Administrator Shah, and U.S. SOUTHCOM Commander General Douglas Fraser is here.
At a time when few journalists are reporting directly from Haiti, the NYTimes’ blog The Lede is serving as a repository for frequent updates, video, and comments from a wide variety of sources.
Our thoughts are with the victims of this tragedy and the people mobilizing to provide relief.