13 replies to this topic

[loftus]

I'm astounded at the devastation in Haiti.
Please find ways to help; Red Cross, American Jewish World Service, Medicine sans Frontier anything!

[Steve Williams]

You're right on sir. We all need to pray for the people in Haiti tonight.

Then send money.

[echeng]

I did some research and ended up donating to Partners in Health: http://www.pih.org/

[echeng]

Here's the reply I got back from Partners in Health:

Dear Eric,

Over the past 18 hours, Partners In Health staff in Boston and Haiti have been working to collect as much information as possible about the conditions on the ground, the relief efforts taking shape, and all relevant logistics issues in order to respond efficiently and effectively to the most urgent needs in the field. At the moment, PIH's Chief Medical Officer is on her way to Haiti, where she will meet with Zanmi Lasante leadership and head physicians, who are already working to ensure PIH's coordinated relief efforts leveraging the skills of more than 120 doctors and nearly 500 nurses and nursing assistants who work at Zanmi Lasante's sites.

We have already begun to implement a two-part strategy to address the immediate need for emergency medical care in Port-au-Prince. First, we are organizing the logistics to get the medical staff and supplies needed for setting up field hospital sites in Port-au-Prince where we can triage patients, provide emergency care, and send those who need surgery or more complex treatment to our functioning hospitals and surgical facilities. To do this, we are creating a supply chain through the Dominican Republic. Second, we are ensuring that our facilities in the Central Plateau are ready to serve the flow of patients from Port-au-Prince. Operating and procedure rooms are staffed, supplied, and equipped for surgeries and we have converted a church in Cange into a large triage area. Already our sites in Cange and Hinche are reporting a steady flow of people coming with medical needs from the capital city. In the days that come we will need to make sure our pharmacies and supplies stay stocked and our staff continue to be able to respond.

Currently, our greatest need is financial support. Haiti is facing a crisis worse than it has seen in years, and it is a country that has faced years of crisis, both natural disaster and otherwise. The country is in need of millions of dollars right now to meet the needs of the communities hardest hit by the earthquake. Our facilities are strategically placed just two hours outside of Port-au-Prince and will inevitably absorb the flow of patients out of the city. In addition, we need cash on-hand to quickly procure emergency medical supplies, basic living necessities, as well as transportation and logistics support for the tens of thousands of people that will be seeking care at mobile field hospitals in the capital city. Any and all support that will help us respond to the immediate needs and continue our mission of strengthening the public health system in Haiti is greatly appreciated. Help us stand up for Haiti now.

If you are not in a position to make a financial contribution, you can help us raise awareness of the earthquake tragedy. Please alert your friends to the situation and direct them to http://www.pih.org for updates and ways to help.

[echeng]

Additional notes from some of my friends:

- The Red Cross is always good. I understand that they need lots of medical aide.

- CARE ( http://care.org ) is a good one: "More than 90 percent of our expended resources - among the highest of all philanthropic organizations - support our poverty-fighting projects around the world. Less than 10 percent of expended resources go toward administrative and fund-raising costs."

- I was also debating giving to Yele Haiti ( http://yele.org ), the nonprofit set up ... See Moreby Wyclef Jean in 2005. That's where he's from, and its sole focus is Haiti. I like that it's more of a grassroots organization. But, I don't have a sense of its effectiveness.

- Im donating to Oxfam and Partners in Health.

- My friend researched on charities and his trusted charity orgs are listed at http://www.scaruffi.com/charity.html - if you want to be on the safe side, just use http://www.oxfamamerica.org that has a huge presence in Haiti

- Just read on the http://yele.org site that 100% of its donations are going to the relief operation.

- Partners in Health (Dr. Paul Farmer's group) is one of earliest health care organizations which started work in Haiti many years ago. I highly recommend them as an org to donate to.
about an hour ago

- http://www.whatislef...p-in-haiti.html

- I think MSF is one of them

- This may help: http://www.charityna...?...w&cpid=1004

- @mkapor Trusted donations for Haitian earthquake relief can go to Partners in Health (Dr. Paul Farmer's org) http://bit.ly/5INkqw

- Through an effort backed by the U.S. State Department Americans can text ‘Haiti’ to 90999 and a $10 dontation will go to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti (via your phone bill -- info here).

- There’s also http://doctorswithoutborders.org

[davelew]

The charities I've heard recommended are Partners in Health (www.pih.com) and Haiti Partners (http://www.haitipartners.org/).

I saw the devastation of the Kobe earthquake in Japan in 1995, I saw what a 7.2 on the richter scale did to earthquake-hardened buildings in a wealthy country (310,000 homeless after the Japanese earthquake). I can only imagine what a 7.0 earthquake did in Haiti.

[elbuzo]

Thanks Jeff and Eric , is really a good idea that you made a thread about this tragedy . Since i live so close and have been there several times i know that this event was something like a final blow to country that was already in a critical situation . Haiti will need the help from all the world to start again .

I will try to contact some of my friends at Haiti to ask which institution they think is the more effective to canalize the help

[Nakedwithoutcamera]

Thank you Eric for your in-depth research.

[Giles]

what an idiot.

[echeng]

Americans can text ‘Haiti’ to the SMS shortcode 90999, and a $10 dontation will go to support American Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti. This will be billed to your phone bill.

[Giles]

I know here in Cayman (and I am guessing this is the same for all Red Crosses locally) you can go to them and make physical donations and some set up local bank accounts specially to receive donations.

Our is having a supply drive and then 5 local volunteers are going over to deliver them and help.

[Drew]

Here is the link to Oxfam where you can donate in the various local currencies of your choice:

http://www.oxfam.org...aiti-earthquake

The good thing about Oxfam is that they assist in infrastructure rebuilding after dealing with the immediate disaster aid, which is a longer term approach

Giles
Is there a need to even post that stuff? Pat is certainly allowed to have his opinion but that particular opinion detracts from what the purpose of this thread is about ,no?

[Drew]

Seems there is an outpouring of help for the Haitians right now but unfortunately aid is delayed due to infrastructure issues. Still, my buddy in the UNPKF tells me that it'll push through soon enough so please don't stop donating.

To support Yele, you can also text "YELE" to 501501 to donate $5, which will be added to your phone bill.

I've pinned this topic for the time being.

[loftus]

Just got back from a week in Haiti as part of a plastic surgery relief group. What a mess; very distressing, disturbing and frustrating.
More than half a million people living in tents, and hurricane season about to start.......
I'll post a gallery in a few days for those who are interested. In the meantime, here's an image that I think says much about the ironies and realities of the earthquake, and society in Haiti in general......

Edited by loftus, 04 May 2010 - 06:15 PM.