Haiti Quake Relief Desperately Needed: You Can Help!

On Tuesday Afternoon, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck near Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince collapsing buildings, including at least one hospital. Mercy Corps, reports with communications from the area disrupted, the situation is unclear -- but with continued aftershocks and eyewitness accounts of "total disaster" and chaos, there are fears of catastrophic damage and widespread casualties.

As of 10:00pm this evening, ABC News said that the latest report from the American Red Cross is that three million, one-third of Haiti's population, have been affected by the quake. That figure includes an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 casualties and over a million homeless. The situation is dire and there is a race against time to get to those still trapped.

Link here for a list of organizations working to get aid into the country.

Mercy Corps, a Portland, Oregon-based charity, has a unique tool allowing individuals, groups, businesses and organizations to set up a personalized donation page. Link here to visit the page we set up: http://www.mercycorps.org/fundraising/causaoregon or visit one of the other organizations doing the necessary work for the people in desperate need.

Yele Haiti, a grassroots organization started by performing artist Wyclef Jean has a service set up for people to donate $5 via their cell phone. Text "YELE" to "501501" to donate $5 via your cellphone.

The Red Cross also has a service allowing people to donate via their cell phone. Just 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.

According to KPOJ 620AM, the U.S. State Department Operations Center said Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti should call 1-888-407-4747. Due to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording. "Our embassy is still in the early stages of contacting American citizens through our Warden Network," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. "Communications are very difficult within Haiti at this time."

If you have a blog, visit BloggersUnite for Haiti to see how you can use your blog to help get the word ot to your readers. The goal of BloggersUnite is to share information about the disaster and how people around the world can provide aid to ongoing relief efforts.

Posted in: 620 AM KPOJ,Haiti,Humanitarian Aid,Mercy Corps,Port-au-Prince,Red Cross