On Tuesday afternoon, the city of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, was rocked by a massive earthquake that registered a magnitude of 7.0. Now, just two days later, the city is stuck in a dire situation. Collapsed buildings, downed communication, looters and streets filled with the dead and injured require the help of a massive international effort.
A disaster of such large scale only compounds the many difficulties facing Haiti already. Years of political instability and corruption left the country unprepared for such a disaster. On-the-ground resources were relatively scarce, and many buildings crumbled because they were not well-maintained, according to an NPR report. Additional photos show the Haitian presidential palace (Haiti’s equivalent of the White House) in ruins. Many news reports, including the AP, have reported death tolls that are as high as 500,000.
Fortunately, relief is pouring into the country. International efforts such as the Red Cross have pledged money and other resources to the relief effort. On Wednesday, the group opened up many of their standby reserves to aid the country, but a midday report from the AP said Red Cross workers in Haiti may have already run out of medical supplies. The Red Cross estimates up to a third of the 9 million population of Haiti may need help.
More supplies are on the way, but it may take some time to get there. Time that the more than 2 million residents of Port-au-Prince don’t have. And even as the last of the survivors are pulled from the wreckage, the destruction of Port-au-Prince will leave the country with long-term economic problems.
In order to aid those affected by the earthquakes, we encourage readers to contribute to the Red Cross relief effort.
You can do so by visiting their Web site at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS (1-800-733-2767). People can also contribute in a newly implemented way by texting “Haiti” to 90999, which will send a $10 donation, which is added to the monthly bill, to the Red Cross.
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