The scenes of death and devastation wrought by the massive earthquake in Haiti are truly heartbreaking.
Thousands of people are presumed dead. Many more are injured and homeless.
“Port-au-Prince is devastated,” an aid worker said of the capital in an e-mail. “(L)ot of deaths. SOS. SOS.”
Our government will respond swiftly, as President Obama promised Wednesday. But Coloradans, and Americans, also must rise up and help our neighbors in Haiti in this dark hour.
Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, says the Caribbean nation faces a “major humanitarian emergency.” Haiti’s symbols of government have collapsed and the already impoverished nation’s rickety infrastructure is a shambles.
Hospitals that weren’t destroyed are packed with the injured. Families are struggling to find loved ones.
President Obama said Haiti has the “unwavering support” of the United States. He also was right to call for individuals to do what they can to help, noting that this is “a time when we are reminded of the common humanity that we all share, and Americans have always responded to these situations with generosity of spirit.”
Search-and-rescue efforts are already underway, and aid agencies are scrambling to get in food and services. But those efforts will take time, and won’t be easy. It could be years before Haiti recovers.
How best to help?
The Center for International Disaster Relief Information encourages those willing to support the relief effort to contribute cash.
In-kind contributions such as food and clothing aren’t as efficient, the Center says.
Even a small gift helps. The American Red Cross, for example, has made it easy to text a donation of $10 that is charged to your phone bill.
We’re providing a partial list of aid agencies, but there are many others that can help. Meanwhile, we must keep the people of Haiti in our thoughts and prayers.
