Image by Twitpic user TyNitty411
Okay, you know what happened in Haiti. Here’s what you can do besides wincing at the Times through gritted teeth and saying, “Ohmigod, that’s awful”:
- Donate to Partners in Health, which is mobilizing its people already on the ground, where they provide crucial health services, and Mercy Corps, which is dispatching an emergency team as I write this; both aid organizations already have special donation pages set up for the disaster. Also very deserving of your latte money is Doctors Without Borders, which has 813 staff in Haiti, and the Central Emergency Response Fund, a fast-acting UN donation facility.
- In theory, you can get help finding your friends/relatives in Haiti by calling the State Department at 888-407-4747, but the lines have been too flooded to get through.
- Read the eyewitness reports, like of @RAMhaiti, on Twitter (h/t @globalvoices):
Just about all the lights are out in Port au Prince.. people still screaming but the noise is dying as darkness sets.
lot’s of rumors about which buildings were toppled..The Castel Haiti behind the Oloffson is a pile of rubble..it was 8 stories high
Our guests are sitting out in the driveway.. no serious damage here at the Oloffson but many large buildings nearby have collapsed
I’m told that parts of the Palace have collapsed..the UNIBANK here on Rue Capois has collapsed
people are bringing people by on stretchers
Port au Prince is dark except for a few fires
For as long as you can, anyhow.
when my batteries die I will no longer be able to communicate..it’s going to be a long night..our prayers go out to everyone
For updates on Haiti, follow Mac on Twitter.
