On January 12, an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince. Devastating an already damaged infrastructure, the earthquake has cut off vital supply lines for disaster relief and medical supplies. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the most affected area is Haiti’s West Province, with a population of 2.2 million.
In 2008, Dr. Paul Farmer spoke to the Deerfield community about Partners in Health. Since 1987, PIH has made efforts to provide health care in Haiti by operating clinics in Port-Au-Prince as well as other Haitian cities. Dr. Farmer has emphasized the shortage of medical supplies available in Haiti,
“They don’t have electricity yet. They don’t have the supplies that they need. But there’s a lot of Haitian health professionals, doctors, nurses, aides who would like to, as he said, do right, but to do that you need the supplies. You have to have the basics. Gauze, plaster or other casts. You have to have the equipment that you need. Anesthesia, pain medications, antibiotics. And that’s what some of my medical colleagues are asking us for, supplies.”
Things you can do to help:
- Donate money to one of the following organizations:
Partners in Health.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Doctors Without Borders
UNICEF (You can also contribute a $5.00, one-time donation to UNICEF by texting GIVE to 1.800.4UNICEF begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1.800.4UNICEF end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1.800.4UNICEF end_of_the_skype_highlighting) - Contact the White House and urge President Obama to act quickly to provide aid for earthquake victims.
- Spread the word via Facebook or Twitter and encourage others to donate