Haiti Quake Updates

Following is the first set of responses from Elsie St. Louis-Accilien, the executive director of Haitian-Americans United for Progress.

Thank you for taking the time to put me to the test with very thoughtful questions, some of which may even be beyond my pay grade. As the executive director of the Haitian-Americans United for Progress, I normally deal with issues of domestic import, in particular those that relate to the health and welfare of the residents of the greater Cambria Heights community in Queens. Yet the catastrophic earthquake that devastated a third of my native land has forced us all to provide a most humane response while not forgetting the tough questions.

I will respond to the questions in no particular order, but I hope that though I may not respond to each one of you individually, I will have nonetheless touched upon the concerns that you have raised.

Is Doctors Without Border a good organization to donate to?

— Posted by Tom Delane

Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health, Oxfam, Catholic Relief Services, and Project Medishare are among the organizations that had viable and worthy programs in Haiti before the earthquake. This allowed them to respond quickly to the emergency and to provide life-saving support to hundreds, perhaps thousands. They are all worthy of your donations. There are many more organizations — some well known and well financed, some not so popular — that are also rising to the challenge and are able to bring resources to bear on the relief efforts.

Bear in mind, however, that just beyond the search and rescue efforts lies the daunting task of keeping the survivors alive through sustained medical care and tending to the physical and emotional trauma of hundreds of thousands.

Yet it is also important to ensure that Haitians are not simply passive recipients of international charity, but that they are put to work immediately so that they can be the primary builders of the Haitian dream. Thus my sincere hope is that the remarkable support and solidarity that you and most people of the world have given Haiti will not fade away once the spotlight is turned off. There will be plenty of opportunities for people wishing to be involved in the rebuilding of Haiti. Just note that bare-bones accommodations are all that will be available in the near future.