Earthquake in Haiti: What Happened, How to Help

On Tuesday, January 12, Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake, leaving thousands dead and nearly one-third of their population in need of emergency aid. This 7.0 magnitude earthquake toppled the presidential palace, the tax office, a prison, hospitals, schools, and almost entire neighborhoods. According to an Associated Press article, run on Chicagotribune.com, by Jonathon M. Katz, the death count is unsure, but Officials in Haiti are estimating anywhere up to 100,000 (estimates have also run upwards of 500,000) have died from the destruction and its aftermath. In addition, the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission was missing and the Roman Catholic archbishop of Port-au-Prince was dead. It is reported that the main churches and seminaries of Port-Au-Prince have been reduced to rubble.

When I heard this news, I was in shock. Earlier this year I was given the opportunity to be a docent at the Our World At War photojournalism exhibit, which was hosted by Loyola's School of Communications and sponsored by the International Committee of the Red Cross. In this exhibit, five photojournalists from the VII Agency traveled to war torn nations around the world and photographed the conflict and its victims. Ron Haviv captured the conflict in Haiti, and the stories told by his photographs, combined with the background information on the current condition of the country, moved more than one hardened business executive to tears (See the photos below).

Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, and has been ruled by violence for most of the last 30 years. A majority of its population live on less than $2 per day, and have resorted to eating mud cakes flavored with small amounts of butter or salt to sustain themselves. When the ICRC conducted a survey of people in Haiti 98% of those surveyed responded they had felt the effects of armed violence, whether or not they had been directly affected, and 66% of those directly affected said they had limited access to such services as water, electricity and health care.

Haiti needs our help. The conditions in the country were horrendous to begin with, and now they have been hit by a natural disaster that threatens to throw the nation into even deeper turmoil. Imagine this event in America: the White House collapsing, the nearest hospitals and schools reduced to rubble, several large organizations and buildings devoted to peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts (the church and the U.N.) destroyed, and piles of bodies lining the streets of New York, L.A., Chicago, and even the Twin Cities. We are so lucky to have a stable country and not be hit by a natural disaster, and now it is time to take advantage of our wealth and stability and help a fellow nation get back on its feet.

THURSDAY UPDATE:
International relief has started to make its way into Port-au-Prince. Planes carrying rescue workers from China, France, Spain, and the United States landed, bringing people to provide aid and tons of food, water, and medicine. However, it took nearly six hours to unload the supplies from one Chinese plane, hinting at a possible bottleneck as relief continues to pour in from around the world to the already damaged airport.
Though there is little authority (many UN trucks and state vehicles are stuck trying to get through crowded streets of people and stopped cars), many people are being freed by neighbors and volunteers, and there are reports of little to no gunfire in this normally chaotic city. There were reports of looting immediately after the quake, but people were taking food, and disturbances are rare.
The dead lay along the streets, some covered in white cloth. Some try to drag dead bodies to hospitals to dispose of them, some are taking bodies to the hills for impromptu burials. Brazil, the largest military force currently in Haiti, is urging authorities to create a cemetery in order to prevent an epidemic.
While Haitians wait for supplies, they have used what they can to help and transport victims. People are being carried to hospitals in wheelbarrows and makeshift stretchers fashioned out of unhinged doors.
*Check out this piece written by Bill Clinton. It is a quick but poignant read about the earthquake and what needs to happen now.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1953379_1953494_1953521,00.html?xid=rss-topstories

Below I have compiled some basic facts about Haiti, its conflicts, and the earthquake that hit. I have also put together a list of websites and resources where you can donate money and learn more. (Note: the text messaging option is really quick and really easy- I did it and it takes less than 30 seconds and donates $10, which can help a lot)

Please donate, get informed, and tell others about the earthquake and Haiti's conflict.

This is a photo of the Haiti wall at the Our World At War exhibit.
The second photo on the left is of the mud cakes that people eat.

http://www.mandyhenry.com/blog/?p=306

A close up of the first picture on the left (from above).
This woman was running away from gunfire with the pictured child, when she lost her footing and dropped the child. The child was paralyzed from the waist down from the incident.

http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/haiti-news-081009

Basic Facts:
-Location: Island in the Carribean
-Capital: Port-au-Prince
-Population: 9 million (2 million in Port-au-Prince)
-Life Expectancy: 60.8 years
-Poverty: 78% live on less than $2 per day
-Earthquake hit: Tuesday, January 12, 2010, afternoon
-Magnitude: 7.0
-Number of Deaths: Estimates anywhere up to 500,000
-Number in need of aid: Approx. 3 million
-Current Concerns: Not enough hospitals, spread of diseases such as fever, malaria, and measles, respiratory disease from inhaling dust, escaped prisoners from the collapsed prison, lack of food and drinking water, lack of shelter for those displaced

Links to learn more:
LIVE UPDATES: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456322.stm
PHOTOS: http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishredcross/sets/72157623201983100/
GOOD HISTORY OF HAITI: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456728.stm
GOOD SOURCES FOR UPDATED INFO:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/haiti/
http://haitifeed.com/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456819.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/8455774.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/14/world/americas/14haiti.html?hp


How to Help
-Text the word Haiti to 90999 to donate $10
*Through the Red Cross
*Taken out of your phone bill

-Text the word Yele to 501501 to donate $5
*Through Wyclef Jeans organization Yele Haiti
*Take out of your phone bill

-http://www.yele.org/ to donate any amount of money
*Organization ran by Wyclef Jean
*Projects are designed to make a difference in the fields of education, health,
environment and community development.

-Here is a link to all the organizations accepting donations for relief:
*http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-haiti-help-boxjan13,0,6665203.story


"Teach us to give and not count the cost"
-St. Ignatius of Loyola



Sources:
http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/haiti-news-081009
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/haiti/sns-ap-cb-haiti-earthquake,0,1861962.story?page=1