Haiti Updates: Will Aid Come in Time?

1.16.2010 — Events in Haiti have become somewhat of a blur.  So much has happened in such a short period of time.  The following are stats, figures, news clips, and photos that stood out to me.

The death toll is astronomical and it is continually rising as more bodies are found and accounted for.  Reports say some 50,000 bodies have been found and Haiti’s Interior Minister Paul Antoine Bien-Aime told Reuters on Friday that the final count can be as high as 100,000 to 200,000. (Reuters)

The situation in Haiti has become grim and perilous as masses are left without food and water while authorities try to bury tens of thousands of bodies to prevent disease.  Unless international aid comes sooner, authorities fear that anarchy will soon engulf Haiti. To make matters worse, the earthquake devastated the already-poor infrastucture in Haiti thus preventing or delaying relief efforts.  The airport cannot handle the volume of supplies coming in while the ports have been declared unusable by the US Coast Guard. (Businessweek)

One hundred U.S. paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Haiti yesterday to help maintain order while 9,000-10,000 troops will arrive by the end of the week.  Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman said, “In this situation, the military is best able to supply security, search-and-rescue capabilities, potable water and medical facilities.” (UPI)

In this time of tremendous need, the international community has rallied together monetary aid (and supplies) in quantities never seen before.  The figures reported in multiple news sources were astounding. Dollars from charities and international aid groups are projected to surpass funds raised after the 2004 Asian tsunami and2005 Hurricane Katrina.  Convio Inc., a company that processes donations online for 1,300 nonprofits, estimates more than $80 million in donations for Haiti since Tuesday.  The corporate world is also pitching in millions: UPS, $1million; Bank of America, $1million; Lowe’s, $1million; Walmart, $500k; and others. (Wall Street Journal and Reuters)

While much aid is needed, authorities caution donors to be critical of who they are giving money to in order to make the most impact with their donations.  For example, donors can make a bigger impact by donating to organizations with a well established infrastructure in Haiti and with experience and relationship with the local communities.  Partners in Health, a nonprofit organization based in Boston and founded by Harvard Professor Dr. Paul Farmer and Darmouth College President Jim Kim, has been committed to providing health care to rural communities in Haiti for more than twenty years.  PIH hospitals are flooded with victims, and resources are low.  Please click on the link above to donate.

Another critical issue arises during times of disaster — a skyward increase in the number of “charity” scams and frauds.  After Katrina, CharityNavigator, a charity watchdog group, reported some 4,000 bogus sites were created requesting relief aids. The FBI also warned Americans to ignore unsolicited emails.  Again, the best thing to do is to donate money directly to local charity groups or large international organizations such as the Red Cross.  Monetary donations are preferred over supplies for reasons mentioned above.  (Wall Street Journal)

Finally, as more and more visuals are released online through YouTube and major news sources, readers can fully appreciate the full destruction and devastation ravaging Haiti.  Some of the most moving images can be found on the New York Times photojournalism page.

Please pray for Haiti,

OVN Team