Global General

Haiti quake updates & aid effort launched

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-01-13 22:05

Top story overnight: The International Federation of the Red Cross estimates that up to 3 million people have been affected by the powerful earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday, The AP reported. The magnitude 7.0 quake caused "massive destruction in all the main neighborhoods" of Port-au-Prince, damaging or destroying thousands of structures, including homes, hospitals, businesses and schools. The ornate National Palace, the UN headquarters and the control tower at the airport were also damaged.

Haiti quake updates & aid effort launched

A worker for Action Medeor relief organization packs parcels in emergency health kits in Toenisvorst, western Germany, on Wednesday Jan. 13, 2010, to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The sign reads : 'Haiti Emergency'. [Agencies]

Serious loss of life feared: Although information coming out of the Caribbean nation is limited, due to the fact that power and telephone lines were downed in the quake, some news has reached the outside world via cell phones and Twitter accounts. At the time of this writing, officials have released no casualty estimates, but thousands of people are feared dead.

Background: Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. On a good day, the country's leaders have a difficult time providing basic needs to its citizens. Political instability has left the country with few construction standards, and so buildings are simply not made to withstand such a natural disaster.

A new day dawns: After a long night of 30+ aftershocks, the people of Haiti started the day by searching through the debris for missing friends and family. Emergency services are practically nonexistent, forcing survivors to risk their own lives by scrambling over rubble and inside unstable structures.

Help is coming: Aid from outside agencies and countries will be crucial. Many have already stepped up and promised to help.

* The Red Cross has directed $200,000 for immediate assistance.

* AmeriCares has pledged to send staff and $5 million in relief aid.

* Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres will be deploying additional staff to help at severely damaged medical facilities.

* UNICEF will provide supplies to allow access to adequate sanitation, safe water and basic health care.

* A 50-member Chinese rescue team departed for quake-hit Haiti from the Beijing Capital International Airport at 20:30pm on Wednesday.

* The Inter-American Development Bank, a Washington-based agency that focuses on Latin America and the Caribbean, will provide $200,000 in immediate aid for food, water, medicine and temporary shelter.

* Venezuela plans to send food, medicine, water and 50 rescue workers.

* Mexico has pledged to send doctors, search and rescue dogs and infrastructure damage experts.

* Italy is sending a field hospital and emergency medical personnel.

* France is sending 65 clearing specialists, rescue dogs and a team of medical personnel.

* Teams from the Defense, State and Homeland Security Departments are working together to coordinate a shipment of aid. The US Agency for International Development is sending a disaster assistance response team and Coast Guard officials in Miami are positioning cutters and aircraft near Haiti to offer humanitarian assistance.

* The State Department has also set up a help line (888-407-4747) for those seeking information about family and loved ones in Haiti. Due to high call volume, callers may hear a recording.