Haiti Earthquake Aftermath: Photos, Video, How to Help

News sources are predicting that yesterday’s earthquake near Port-au-Prince may have killed thousands of Haitians, but there’s still no clear estimate on how many are dead. (The Red Cross fears thousands dead and millions more affected; so far more than 100 people are missing in the rubble, according to the U.N.) “Bodies lay in the streets of Haiti’s devastated capital early Wednesday, and untold numbers of people remained trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings and leveled shantytown homes,” reported the New York Times. They say it’s the worst earthquake to hit the country in more than 200 years. Alan Le Roy, chief of UN peacekeeping forces, told The AP, “We know there will be casualties, but we cannot give figures for the time being.” The United States and other nations will begin sending foreign aid.

Meanwhile, Haitians in New York are sick with worry. Radio Soleil d’Haiti in Brooklyn has fielded thousands of phone calls providing information to immigrants concerned about their family members, says the New York Times. The Daily News reported that in Haitian restaurants around New York, immigrants have gathered to watch the news and phone their relatives on the island.

The U.S. State Department says texting is one fast way to help. Text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill. Or you can go online to organizations like Partners in Health, the Red Cross, Save the Children, UNICEF, Direct Relief International or Mercy Corps to make a contribution. Mayor Bloomberg says NYC "stands ready to do all it can to help" and that anyone wishing to contribute to relief efforts can do so through the Mayor's Fund to Advance NYC by calling 311.

Below, raw video of the aftermath:

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Sabrina Jaszi in News on January 13, 2010 10:01 AM

Comments [rss]

Pastor John

Don't Give Your Hurricane Donations to the American Red Cross or United Way, rampant corruption

Give to small charities from your Local Churches instead of the Corrupt State Sponsored Charities.

" http://lmgtfy.com/?q=red+cross+and+united+way+caught+rampant+corruption "

Just Google " red cross and united way caught rampant corruption "

youngpro

Just gave $ to Haiti. Everyone should. It's a tax-deductible donation, so do it...now!

Carlos

the UN's Central emergency Response Fund donation link:

https://secure.globalproblems-globalsolutions.org/site/Donation2?idb=232920243&df_id=1240&1240.donation=form1&JServSessionIdr004=cp98eaf6y1.app28b

potsmoker

the last refuge of attack on blog internet board commenting systems is the accuse peeple of knot usin spellchuck instead of lookang at da facts of the argemunt.

yomama

If anyone is still thinking of donating please check out my colleagues' website: NOAHNY.ORG

This is an organization of doctors/surgeons/RNs/PAs, some of whom I work with, who have been going to Haiti for years to volunteer their services and any supplies they can carry to the Island with them. Their next trip down was supposed to be to Forte Liberte but, because of this disaster, they will be diverting their efforts to Port-au-Prince.

They will be going on January 24 and they can use any donations made to through their website. I was originally scheduled to volunteer on their June trip but now scrambling to see if I can get coverage for my patients here in order to join them. This is a great way to ensure that 100% of your donations will be put towards medical help for the people of Haiti. Please check out their website!

potsmoker

the difference between me and you is, i care about teh suffering of the people of haiti all year long.

shithole country, shit politics, and you never cared.

they should limit donations to people who care, because if all your $$$$ went to fixing the earthquake damage and healing the sick, rescuing the suffering and it was put exactly back as you foud it before the earthquake, youd say goddamm this place is a shithole!!!

you never cared about haiti

dadoc

Glad to hear you've been caring. Now find the Shift key, spell check before submission, keep caring and watch out for paraquat. Big parts of NOLA were a shithole before Katrina, Haiti was and will probably remain a shithole after this. Full of people. Lots of people. In bad shape. So keep the folks here entertained, enjoy the weedy self-righteousess, and give thanks for your comfort, weed, water, food, adequate blood volume, originally-supplied number of appendages and keyboard tonight. Keep on Googling and caring. Every little bit helps.

starrygordon

I think potsmoker has a point. Nobody cared much about Haiti last week, and most likely, nobody will care a few weeks from now. Same as New Orleans. If the U.S. government has gone in, as Mr. O says, then the immediate-aid pipe is probably full; distributing food, water, clothing and temporary housing requires an infrastructure which will probably have to be put in place first by people who do that sort of thing and are probably doing now as well and as fast as they can.

Further down the line, though, as Haiti recovers and is rebuilt or not, you might be able to do something, especially if you can get to know some Haitians and apprehend their actual situation and needs. Giving to remote organizations is dubious; money tends to disappear in bureaucracies, even those which are nominally not corrupt.

However, you (most of you) didn't do much of anything about New Orleans, so I don't think you're going to do anything about Haiti. Maybe you should ask potsmoker for a toke or two.

dadoc

Time to add potsmoker to my list of those to ignore. Funny, but not unexpected, but 9 posts by Felix on the dog-kick above, but not a word on a human (and animal) disaster of "Biblical" proportions just miles from our shores. And time for everybody to put a lot of other stuff aside. Heading for LGA-Punta Cana to meet up with some colleagues in DR, head overland West, see what can do. Done it before, do it again. Everybody just kick in whatever way you can: cash, articles, blood (likely big time need), faith based or otherwise. Even just in good faith. Will check in when can. And don't worry, Felix, I've done some vet stuff in the past, too.

NannyState

Godspeed, Doc.

dadoc

And yes, I printed a glossy copy of the American Apparel Velvet ad to keep me company :)

Jen S

Take care. Your velvety mistress shall await your return.

potsmoker

victims are being shipped to GUANTANAMO!

ready for humanitarian immigrants from haiti.

your all talkin shat. now they are saying up to 100K DEAD, ready to get all liberal and say bring them here!

hahaha, i doubt it.

native_sister

Don't forget Oxfam. In 2008, "at least 90 percent of funds designated by donors for humanitarian emergencies directly supported [Oxfam's] relief efforts for those emergencies." http://bit.ly/5iG3ap

So 90 cents of every dollar go directly to providing clean water, shelter, sanitation etc.

Snoopy

Is Haiti the Caribbean incarnation of Somalia?

potsmoker

after 911 tons of people ran to stores to drive trunkfuls of water bottles, snacks and food to groundzero. it was pretty obvious on the retail level that average comsumers were making extraordinary bulk purchases in the name of disaster releif.

did managers or store chains say no dont purchase full value retail items in bulk and travel down there impeding more important traffic, NOPE its a business, they make money. nobody said hey lets divert this 18wheeler full of pallets of gatorade to ground zero, nope they said put it on the shelves the suckers will buy it and feel good, well make more money at full retail instead of donating ourselves.

want to donate bulk non perishable foods and medical supplies, call medical supply companies like J&J and food manufacturers and ask them to divert food in bulk to those areas, depending on the average guy to walk into a store and buy items and expect them to be privately shipped to haiti is the ultimate example of retardation.

its a feel good stupidity move and the poeple in power know this and expect you to be stupid about your emotional decisions, thats how they control you in general.

hotstepper

you do realize how incredibly boring you are right?

rasputinsghost

surprise, a guy who calls himself potsmoker has stupid things to say

Kimberly

Also the Buddhist organization, Tzu Chi is usually the second in place in disasters after the Red Cross - their website is http://www.us.tzuchi.org/usa/home.nsf/home/index?OpenDocument

potsmoker

haiti has no real infrastructure before the earthquake

and theres no way of getting bulk retail items to haiti.

mostly likely if anybody can get a cargo airplane out to haiti it will land in some airport there and be redistrubuted and stocked by the military, police and elites and resold to the poor at inflated prices.

do not give food and medical supplies.

this is a dumb idea.