Haiti Quake Updates

When a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, Alexandria, VA, small business owner and Oxfam America donor Danielle Romanetti knew that she wanted to help—and that her friends and neighbors did, too. That’s when she realized she could use her yarn store, Fibre Space, as a means to raise funds for the relief effort.

In the aftermath of the quake, Oxfam moved quickly to provide emergency aid for thousands of affected people. Meanwhile, supporters like Romanetti also took action, organizing dozens of large and small community events to raise funds and awareness about the crisis.

Wilco, the mighty alt-rock band with they eponymous album, have sprung into action again, after a brief time away from the spotlight.

Fans can download two full concerts in pristine audio for free fromWilcoworld.net; in return, the band asks that you donate at least $15 dollars to Oxfam’s Haiti relief effort or Doctors Without Borders. The shows are both from the 2009 tour; one from Brooklyn’s Keyspan Park, and the other from the HMV Forum in London.

Increase da peas ... Will.i.am. Photograph: Patrick Rideaux/Rex Features

Black Eyed Peas founder Will.i.am has remixed one of the Who's classic songs, with proceeds going to the Haiti earthquake relief. The hip-hop star's version of My Generation will air during this Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV, where the Who are playing at half-time. The single will then be available to purchase at the iTunes Music Store.

Tomorrow, I'll travel to Haiti for the second time since the earthquake to meet with Haitian leaders and UN officials, visit a local clinic, and deliver much needed supplies to the region, including food, medical supplies, generators, tents, and plastic sheeting.

More than three weeks after the earthquake, the relief efforts in Haiti are being rapidly increased to meet the staggering needs, but the long road to recovery has just begun.

In mere moments, the earthquake not only turned buildings to rubble in Port-au-Prince and communities west of it and took the lives of nearly 200,000 people, it set back the impressive progress Haiti had been making to overcome 200 years of poverty, neglect and oppression. What we do now and in the weeks and months ahead to help the people and the government of Haiti will have an enormous impact on the country's future. A coordinated and sustained response by the international community, in partnership with the Haitian government can make the difference between whether Haiti "builds back better" -- or just builds back unsafe buildings that can't survive hurricanes and earthquakes; a fragile and stagnant economy; a health care system with gaping inequalities; an education system with the lowest enrollment rates in the Western hemisphere; and continued and rampant deforestation. Before the earthquake, the Haitian government had adopted a comprehensive development plan designed to build a stronger country in the aftermath of the 2008 hurricanes. The Haitian people supported it. They don't want to go back and so we must help them move forward.

The success of Haiti is deeply personal to me. As President, my administration helped restore democratic leadership in Haiti and supported peacekeeping and efforts to grow the economy. After I left office, I continued my commitment to Haiti through my Foundation, working with the Haitian government to strengthen health systems and decrease the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other diseases. After four hurricanes ravaged Haiti in 2008, I asked members of the Clinton Global Initiative to make commitments to help rebuild the country -- in response, businesses and individuals pledged more than $100 million toward that end.

In early 2009, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon asked me to serve as UN Special Envoy for Haiti. For months before the earthquake, I worked alongside the people and government of Haiti, international donors, business leaders, NGOs, and the Haitian diaspora to help the country implement its development plan. I remain committed to completing my mission, and in spite of the quake I still believe Haiti can break the chains of poverty and desperation.

In a recent press conference, Secretary-General Ban detailed the UN's immediate and mid-term priorities of providing humanitarian relief and aid, providing security and stability, and helping reconstruct the Haitian economy.

But as we've learned after past disasters, such as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, it will take more than governments or UN agencies alone to move beyond tragedy. In the days immediately following the earthquake, my Foundation set up a relief fund and I personally delivered food, water, and much needed medical supplies to Port-au-Prince and the General Hospital there, and met with Haitian officials to inform our continued response.

President Obama also asked President George W. Bush and me to lead a joint fundraising effort to engage Americans and citizens around the world in supporting recovery and rebuilding efforts. We established the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, with funds allocated for reputable organizations providing direct relief and assistance to survivors, including medical care, food, water, shelter, and education, in areas like Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, Saint Martin and Martissant.

Already, we've raised more than $20 million from people like Robert who has been unemployed for seven months; Frank, who is giving what he can from his social security check; and Dawn's class of third-graders who saved $31.74 in pennies for an ice cream party, but decided to donate it to Haiti relief instead. You can donate at www.clintonbushhaitifund.org.

In addition to private citizens and NGOS, the international business community is playing an enormous role in recovery, not just in aid but for job generation. Several sectors will be ripe for opportunities to do business, including agribusiness, tourism, textiles, crop processing, call centers, and alternative energy. Jobs could be generated by addressing other challenges throughout the country, including projects focused on rural infrastructure and communications, rural access to power, and reforestation.

Before the earthquake hit, I believed for the first time in my life that Haiti finally had a chance to create a modern economy and a just society, a nation worthy of the abilities, hard work, and dreams of its people. The President and Prime Minister remain committed to that goal. Continued support from government and international donors, NGOs, the private sector and individual citizens can still give Haiti that chance. But we have to stay focused on the work ahead; we have to keep the aid and assistance flowing; and we have to do so in a way that is coordinated, effective, transparent and accountable, to help the most people in the short run and do the most good over the long run.

In the midst of an awful tragedy, the Haitian people are reimagining a future that the Haitian government is committed to build. It won't be easy, it won't be quick, but it can be done. And we can help.

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.

Late Thursday Radiohead announced that it would perform a charity show benefiting the survivors of the devastating January 12th earthquake in Haiti. The tickets were made available via a Ticketmaster auction which ended with a final minimum bid of $475 (meaning many secured their tickets for $450). Some went above and beyond as the proceeds were going to Oxfam America's Haiti Relief Fund and the high bid was $2,000 per ticket (for either 2 or 4 tickets), according to the band.

All in all more than $572,000 was raised in fans' donations and it was an unforgettable, intimate gig for all at the 1,300-capacity theater. Here's the setlist:

http://www.africaforhaiti.com

Please give: http://bit.ly/haitioa

Do look for organizations with prior experience and expertise
There is a great deal of money after well publicized disasters. The ease of raising money makes it tempting to respond even if the organization does not have prior experience in that area. After the tsunami many organizations with no prior experience built boats or houses. I attended one handover ceremony where the boats actually sank during the ceremony because they weren't properly sealed. There is a steep learning curve when agencies move out of their normal work, this may lead to mistakes and wasted money. Make sure the organization has prior experience in their proposed projects.

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Don't earmark funds
The organization is on the ground and has a far better idea of what is needed the most. Earmarking funds may force the organization to spend money where it's not needed and keep it from spending money where it's need the most. After the tsunami in Thailand an organization had money earmarked for two semi's of rice, by the time they arrived in the area 4 months after the tsunami shipments of rice were no longer needed. Because the money had been earmarked the organization had to contact a number of donors to get permission to use the money in different ways. If you trust the organization allow them to make professional decisions on how to best use your donation, if you don't trust them then find another organization to donate to.

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Don't expect the funds to be spent immediately
The initial relief phase encompasses search and rescue, initial medical care, food, water and shelter. After that the much longer recovery and reconstruction phase begins. Organizations that feel pressure from donors to complete their work quickly may try to speed their work by cutting corners, leave aid recipients out of the decision making process, avoiding coordinating with other organizations, or end projects before they're able to survive on their own. In Thailand there were numerous instances of houses being built before the land title was clear causing them to go into litigation with some families being at risk of loosing their houses a few years later. Allow the organizations adequate time to ensure they are providing help in the best way possible.

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Don't take up a collection of goods to send over
After the tsunami tons of used clothing were donated, much of it inappropriate to the climate and culture. There were winder hats, coats and gloves donated to southern Thailand and mountains of donated clothing dumped beside the road in India. Donated goods can also clog ports preventing more immediate relief items from getting through. Ports can only hold and process so many goods and often the port authorities have difficulty sorting through everything arriving to get it processed and out the doors. Please do not take up collections of medicine, clothing, baby formula, or food for shipment, or show up on your own to hand out money or goods. Although well intentioned, this can actually make the situation worse as it adds to the confusion, diverts resources, and may lead to aid dependency.

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Don't go over individually to volunteer
Many people want to be able to volunteer to help in the recovery efforts, however unless you have a specific skill, and speak the language there is often very little the individual can contribute that local people could not do, and perhaps get paid to do. Even if you have a specialized trade such as a doctor or an architect your credentials may not be recognized in that country. In addition you will likely not find an international charity able to take you on for liability reasons and the fact that you don't have prior disaster experience and training. Small local organizations may be willing to risk using volunteers, but their need is for website developers, grant writers, and other office jobs. Your chances of working in the villages are small unless you speak the language and understand the culture.

Some useful points and informed advice based on experience from the Boxing Day Tsunami