Massive Earthquake Devastates Haiti

Posted January 13, 2010, 12:35 pm in News


Officials now say at least 72,000 people died during the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, and this week's strong aftershocks could further hinder rescue and recovery efforts. The United Nations is estimating that more than 3 million Haitians are still in desperate need of food, water, shelter and medical assistance.

The earthquake was just the latest natural disaster to strike Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world.

Even before this week's earthquake, humanitarians have tried to show the world just how dire the situation is in this Caribbean country. One of those people is Margaret Trost. In 2008, she told the Growing Bolder Radio Show that a chance trip to Haiti opened her eyes to unimaginable suffering of the people. Margaret was a grieving widow at the time, but her trip opened her heart to the people there, and in return, she was filled with a sense of purpose.

That life-changing trip led her to start the What If Foundation, which funds a food program in Haiti. She's also written about her experiences in her book, "On That Day Everybody Ate: One Woman's Story of Hope and Possibility in Haiti."

Margaret's organization is one of many that are working overtime to quickly get relief to the people of Haiti following this disaster. If you want to help, we urge you to check out one of the organizations below and do what you can -- no matter how little -- to help these people begin to rebuild their lives and their country.


Dr. Mark Hyman is another former Growing Bolder Radio Show guest who is working around the clock to help the victims of this disaster. He is on the ground providing medical assistance, and he's chronicling his work in Haiti on his blog on the Huffington Post. In a recent journal entry, he wrote, "Two orthopedic surgeons, my wife and father in-law, started the first amputation without water, electricity, or disinfectant. They used a rusty hacksaw we washed with vodka, lit by camping headlamps in an empty room with a few boxes of supplies we had packed into our plane."

Click here to read more journal entries and to look through his photos, including his visit with former President Bill Clinton, who arrived with supplies.

More Resources:

• If you're worried about a family member who may have been in the quake, contact the U.S. State Department Operations Center at 1-888-407-4747.
• The Earthquake Haiti Facebook group is helping people track down their loved ones. Click here to check out the group.
• Donate now through The Red Cross Red Crescent or The American Red Cross
• To see more images like the one above, which was taken by Matthew Marek of The American Red Cross, visit The American Red Cross' Photostream on Flickr.
• Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have launched the Clinton Bush Haiti Fun, which was created to raise money for immediate and long-term recovery efforts. Visit the foundation's Web site at www.clintonbushhaitifund.org or text the word "QUAKE" to 20222 to donate $10 to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, which will be charged to your cell phone bill.
• You can also donate via text message by texting "HAITI" to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief or text "YELE" to 501501 and $5 will be donated to Yele Haiti, a relief movement led by musician Wyclef Jean. Visit yele.org for more information. For both donations, the money will be charged to your phone bill.
• To follow the most recent news from the earthquake, check out CNN.com's special Haiti Earthquake section.
  

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