Help for Haiti; A Global Effort
Mariamawit Tadesse, Assistant Editor
Haiti is the world’s first black-
led republic, as well as the first
independent Caribbean state. The
Republic of Haiti has a popula
tion of 10 million (UN 2009), with
Creole and French as the major
languages and Christianity as the
main religion. Haiti has faced
numerous natural disasters includ
ing tsunamis, storms, hurricanes,
floods, and quakes. With its insta
bility, continued poverty, violence,
political turmoil, and misrule, Haiti
remains the poorest nation among
the Americas. On Tuesday, Januaiy
12, 2010 Haiti was hit by a magni
tude 7.0 earthquake whose epi
center was Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s
capital. This is the world’s third
worst earthquake after the 2004
tsunami that was a 9.1 on the Rich
ter scale and China’s magnitude 7.9
earthquake of 2008. With such a
severe earthquake that has left over
200,000 feared dead and many
more injured, Haiti’s salvation and
rebuilding is left at the mercy of the
international community.
According to Cooper and Rob
bins’s article in the NY Times,
President Obama promised Haiti
the “unwavering support” of the
United States, sending $100 million
relief effort along with ships, trans
port planes, 2,000 Marines, and
helicopters. Also, Canadian citizens
. have contributed about $47 mil
lion, and South American nations,
like Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, and
Cuba, have sent 1,266 troops to
Haiti as part of a UN stabilization
force (CNN).
Paul Kujawsky’s article, in the
h a
\
Raleigh Examiner,
highlights the Middle
East’s response to the
Haitian disaster. An
Israeli rescue team of
about 220 people was
the first to reach the
ground and set up a
field hospital. Bahrain,
Morocco, and Turkey
have each pledged
to donate $1 million,
and Lebanon, Kuwait,
and Sudan are trying
to raise funds. Cargo
planes loaded with
food and medical sup
plies were dispatched
from Iran, Jordan,
Syria, and the U.A.E., and a Qatari
team of doctors flew to Port-au-
Prince to care for the survivors
while Palestinians donated to Haiti
through the Red Crescent.
Australia, according to World
News Australia, is making efforts in
Haiti to help provide food, water,
shelter and medicine. International
aid organizations based in Aus
tralia, such as, Oxfam, Medecins
Sans Frontieres, and World Vision
are distributing water, sanitation
services, tents, and blankets. In
addition to this, Australia recently
pledged to give $9.3 million in
support.
In the wake of the earthquake,
some African countries are giv
ing donations in money, as well as
in land. Governments of Liberia,
Rwanda, Chad, Uganda, Ivory
Coast, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone
have promised hundreds of thou-
t
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Map of Haiti, graphic by Kristen Gallagher
sands of dollars each. Democratic
Republic of Congo has announced
that it is sending $2.5 million in
emergency aid to Haiti—an offer
that was criticized by some Congo
lese because the country depends
on foreign aid and is facing severe
financial difficulties. The Informa
tion Minister, Lambert Mende, told
the BBC that “Congo isn’t bankrupt;
our own problems shouldn’t prevent
us from helping a brother.” South
Africa has also given funds and
deployed doctors to Haiti. Addition
ally, Senegal’s president said he was
offering free land to any Haitians
who wanted to “return” to Africa.
Asian countries, like India and
China, have each donate $1 million.
China has sent a relief team con
sisting of 60 members along with
several sniffer dogs. Indonesia, Ja
pan, and South Korea have pledged
millions of dollars. Taiwan has sent
23 rescue workers and two tons of
aid and equipment.
In Europe, most countries have
donated millions of dollars, as
well as rescue workers. According
to the Guardian, a seven-year-old
boy in London who hoped to raise
£500 for Haiti by cycling five miles
around a local park ended up rais
ing £120,000 in donations and
gift aid. Russia is sending a mobile
hospital consisting of 45 staff. The
mobile hospital. Emergency Situa
tions Ministry spokeswoman Elena
Chernova told CNN, “has intensive
therapy, surgery, diagnostics, ultra
sound, X-ray, electrocardiogram
modules as well as a blood test
laboratory,” and can accommodate
50 patients at a time.
In addition to national efforts, in
ternational organizations and small
Help for Haiti |
Mariah Wamuita Githua, StaffWriter
It is a tumultuous time for Haiti, and
as the grieving nation is recovering from
the recent devastating earthquake, coun
tries from around the world are pooling
their effort to help. In addition to global
and national relief efforts, the Meredith
College community has launched several
relief efforts to raise funds to support
Haiti. They include:
•The Meredith Association of Natural
Sciences (MANS@meredith.edu) is col
lecting donations for the American Red
Cross. Donations can be dropped off in
the collection jar in 202 Cate Center
•The Meredith College Student Govern
ment Association held a Change for
Change in Haiti fundraiser on 20th Janu
aiy'
•Meredith Alumnae Megan Griffith and
Grayson Gant organized a fund raiser and
arc still raising funds for Hearts for Haiti
and other relief funds.
•Griffith and Gant (griffmeg@meredith.
edu) are also making $1 pin donations to
support Haiti.
You can also donate supplies and
money to national organizations such as:
r •Helping Hands for Haiti
•The American Red Cross
•Clinton Foundation
•AmeriCares •
And international relief organizations.
accepting donations include:
•UNICEF yy
•The Salvation Army
•International Rescue Committee
•World Relief
non-profits are also donating money and
aid. The World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund have provided $100 million
each. More than too celebrities participated
in a telethon to raise money for Hope for
Haiti. Funds have also been donated from
FIFA, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and
Haiti born, Wyclef Jean’s Yele Foundation,
in addition to many other large and small
groups.
But while the global community has
come together in the early aftermath to help
Haiti, we cannot forget that rebuilding will
be the hardest step. And it will take years
to complete: years when Haiti will need
continued aid. Now, almost a month after
the earthquake, many have already forgot
ten their original promises of money and
supplies, but it is the most important time to
donate. We must continue to support Haiti’s
efforts to rebuild, because with help they
can succeed.