Jan
14

Relief for Haiti

By R. Mark Moore

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Time for a serious post.  Those that know me personally recognize that the recent earthquake in Haiti is an event that I care deeply about.  I’ve visited the island many times.  I have friends who were stationed in Haiti as part of the “Doctors Without Borders” program.  The residents of Haiti are in serious trouble.  Here is why and here is how you can help.

Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere, and the majority of Haitians live in poverty.  Disasters like this magnitude 7.0 earthquake are especially devastating when they strike places that are already struggling to provide the most basic of services for its population.  The sheer scale of poverty in the country means that the government has limited capacity to meet even the simplest needs of its people, let alone address a disaster of this magnitude. Haiti’s lack of development—which translates into a lack of government capacity for emergency preparedness—magnifies the impact of this tragedy.

Did you drink a bottle of water today?  Did you drink a glass of tap water?  This is a luxury in a country such as Haiti to begin with.  The prospect of clean, fresh water is now much more elusive than it was last week.

Now, how YOU can help…

Drink tap water and kindly donate the money you would have spent on bottled water or a cup of coffee to relief efforts.  Simply text “HAITI” to “90999” and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill. You will need to confirm the donation.   Need a receipt?  Receipts are available online at mGive’s Web site. In addition, this is a recommended mechanism for aid by the US State Department.  http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/help_haiti_disaster_relief_efforts

Why is this a good idea?

Monetary contributions to established relief agencies are always the most useful response to disasters. Financial contributions allow professional relief organizations to purchase exactly what is most urgently needed by disaster victims and to pay for the transportation necessary to distribute those supplies. Unlike in-kind donations, cash donations entail no transportation cost. In addition, cash donations allow relief supplies to be purchased at locations as near to the disaster site as possible. Supplies, particularly food, can almost always be purchased locally – even in famine situations. This approach has the triple advantage of stimulating local economies (providing employment, generating cash flow), ensuring that supplies arrive as quickly as possible and reducing transport and storage costs. Cash contributions to established legitimate relief agencies are always considerably more beneficial than the donation of commodities.

Finally, watch out for any scams promising aid.  If you would like to make donations, do so to recognized aid organizations such as the Red Cross or OxFam.  The US State Department provides a list of recognized aid organizations.

Thank you for listening and thank you for considering how you can offer assistance to those who need it.

[edit]

Here is a list or recognized aid organizations operating in Haiti:

Categories : Latin America, Travel

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