Devastating Earthquake in Haiti

[LoneWolf]

http://us.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/13/haiti.earthquake/index.html

Their largest earthquake in 200 years hit Haiti and according to their First Lady has destroyed most of Port-au-Prince. 1/3 of the population could be affected and a large loss of life is expected.

As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere they are just not equipped to handle this. This is going to be ugly.

[sohy]

Yeah. It's really sad.

[Christina]

We get so dramatic and freaked out by our earthquakes here but there's just no comparison to when it happens in a poor country with a weaker infrastructure and no ability or funds to put in housing regulations. This is horrible.

[Anne]

Daily Kos has phone numbers and links for getting info if you have family there and places to send aid.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/1/12/824490/-Helping-the-Victims-of-the-Haiti-Earthquake-%28Updated%29

[Pendaric]

We've been on the Oxfam site and donated some cash. Brings it home that our own problems are insignificant in comparison.

[Anne]

Yeah, doesn't it?

About 10% of my high school was from Haiti, or second generation. I have an affinity for the incredible country.

[Daynna]

I never met Haitians until I lived in New York City. There were a shit ton there. They would really represent during the Caribbean Day parades. :)

[Garnet]

The news from there is really bad. One of the stories I looked at today estimated around 100,000 dead. :(

[Anne]

The hospital was leveled.

That doesn't bode well for emergency on site medical care.

My heart goes out to them.

[LoneWolf]

The hospital was leveled.

That doesn't bode well for emergency on site medical care.

My heart goes out to them.

This whole thing is like an already crippled guy taking beating.

We're sending the USNS Comfort, which is a US Navy hospital ship. I have been on it and it is an amazing vessel with all the capabilities of any hospital. It is going to take several days for it to get there though.

[TheBear]

http://us.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/13/haiti.earthquake/index.html

Their largest earthquake in 200 years hit Haiti and according to their First Lady has destroyed most of Port-au-Prince. 1/3 of the population could be affected and a large loss of life is expected.

As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere they are just not equipped to handle this. This is going to be ugly.
This is tragic and horrific news.

[DMB]

The good news, if it's not an obscenity to use such an expression, is that there is already some coordination of relief efforts at the international level, but it may not yet be showing on the ground. But there are all sorts of problems. Apparently there is no air traffic control, because the ATC towers were brought down by the quake. So although the runway at Port au Prince is still usable, it's going to be difficult to get the aid flowing in that way.

This gives a good account of what is going on:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8458439.stm

[Puck]

This morning there was a woman on TV, with some aid organization for children. The organization had been in Haiti since 1984. She didn't know what's happened with the various buildings and people throughout Haiti that are a part of her organization, because she was at home when the quake struck. A home with internet connection. Her hair was nicely bleached, her makeup done. She lived in a home with internet connection. Outside of the capital. In a nice area it seemed. She shed a tear, in fear for her well being, worried about the prisoners who were no longer in prison, but loose on the streets.

There are all these church groups and aid organizations throughout Haiti, and they all talk about how long they have been there. Helping. There seems to be an awful lot of them over there. And I have to ask. Am I wrong in thinking if you have been 'helping' for over 20 years, and you are still needed, you are doing something very wrong? At least for some of these groups, it looks more like a nice way to live in a tropical paradise, for free. People will throw a lot of money your way, you take out a nice paycheck, and live in a nice place, and give some of the money to some poor folks to feed each other some gruel.

If you've been taking care of orphans for over 20 years, then an awful lot of those kids have become adults by now. Why don't they have your job? Your house? And you can come back home now. You educated them, after all. Surely they have the skills needed to take charge? Right?

I don't know, the more I watch the news, and listen to these on the ground aid agencies, I wonder that the fuck they are doing over there that's so good?

[dug_down_deep]

If you're wondering what to do, you can actually donate money very easily using your cell phone.

Text "Haiti" to the Red Cross at 90999 to donate $10.

Text "Yele" to Yele Haiti (yele.org) at 501501 to donate $5.

[LoneWolf]

There are all these church groups and aid organizations throughout Haiti, and they all talk about how long they have been there. Helping. There seems to be an awful lot of them over there. And I have to ask. Am I wrong in thinking if you have been 'helping' for over 20 years, and you are still needed, you are doing something very wrong?

I'm sure that is true in some cases, Puck. But I think it is also possible for an organization to be doing everything right and working their ass off and still have only a minimal impact. In a country like Haiti the odds are overwhelmingly against the aid organizations. There are Haitians there today who are educated and have jobs because of the assistance they received. So as bad as it may be there, it might be even worse without that assistance.

As for this catastrophe, I don't think money and supplies will be the problem at all. The problem is going to be getting the supplies to those in need. That is why it is crucial for as many countries as possible to send military airlift support. The US Airforce is already working to get air traffic control back in place. But lots of helicopters will be necessary.

[Puck]

Just heard on CNN that all US flights to Haiti are suspended for now. And no one is allowed to fly in if they don't' have sufficient fuel supply to fly back out. They have no fuel there for planes to refuel, and they are having to park them off to the sides in the dirt.

[Goodchild]

In the face of such tragedies it's disgusting that the wealthy use people's charity to line their pockets even further:

As a massive human tragedy unfolds in Haiti, relief organizations are soliciting credit-card donations through their hotlines and websites. About 97 percent of these donations will actually make it to the designated organizations -- but the other 3 percent will be skimmed off by banks and credit card companies to cover their "transaction costs."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/14/as-wallets-open-for-haiti_n_423238.html

[crazyfingers]

The Secular Students Alliance sent out a email today.

Many of us want to reach out to help those who are suffering in the wake of this disaster. But as secularists, we are wary of those organizations that would include proselytization in their relief efforts.

They recommend the following secular relief organizations.

MADRE
ActionAid International
International Relief Teams
AmeriCares
Doctors Without Borders
Partners In Health

I had already chosen Doctors without Borders for my donation last night as I read that they already have a presence in Haiti and are secular.

[DMB]

See also this: http://www.humanistcharities.org/

[sohy]

I have been waiting all week for the humanists to get organized enough to have a place to donate. I gave half of my contribution to them and half to Doctors Without Borders. We have a Humanist of Georgia gathering this Sunday. I'm treasurer and I'm going to try and guilt my fellow humanists into allowing me to write a generous check to the relief effort or take up a special collection for that purpose.

I don't know why, but when I agreed to be treasurer, I discovered that most of our members are tighter than a crab's ass, when it comes to contributing to our organization. I think we should implement a tithe. ;)

[Daynna]

I sent a $10 text to Red Cross for instant donation gratification. :) I'll look into the recommended organizations that have been listed here.

[Notta]

I'll admit, I wasn't paying close attention to this until this morning, when I had time to look at the satellite images of the damage. I sent in a contribution to an aid agency immediately afterward. Most of the buildings are nothing but rubble.