Haiti: Death Toll Could Reach 500,000 (let's contribute all the WS criminal trash bonuses to this disasterMax)
UPDATED Wednesday, January 13, 2010 --- 1:39 p.m.
Release from the American Red Cross:
On January 12, 2010 a series of earthquakes with magnitude 6.5 to 7.3 struck Haiti in the highly populated area of Department Quest, 10 miles from Port-au-Prince. Aftershocks are continuing to occur. Current media reports indicate collapsed buildings including hospitals and government buildings, and that the earthquake was felt as far as Cuba.
How you can help
For an international response, a monetary gift is the best way to help those in need. Certain in-kind donations may not be appropriate for cultural, political, economic or administrative reasons.
You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent.
American Red Cross response in Haiti
The American Red Cross has pledged $1 million to assist those in Haiti. The Red Cross is also:
•Making available all the relief supplies at its warehouse in Panama (enough for 5,000 families) in support of relief efforts. These supplies include blankets, kitchen sets, and water containers to meet immediate needs of survivors.
•Sending a disaster specialist immediately to Haiti to support response efforts.
•Putting several experienced disaster specialists on standby to be deployed if requested.
•Putting staff in the ground in Haiti and is working to obtain information on the situation.
•Monitoring the situation and communicate with the Haiti Red Cross and International Federation for future immediate action.
Donations
Donations can be sent to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013, or made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800 257-7575 (Spanish) or online at redcross.org
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UPDATED Wednesday, January 13, 2010 --- 11:55 a.m.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) -- Haitians are piling bodies along the devastated streets of their capital after a powerful earthquake flattened the president's palace and the main prison, the cathedral, hospitals, schools and thousands of homes. Untold numbers are still trapped.
President Rene Preval says he believes thousands of people are dead even as other officials give much higher estimates -- though they were based on the extent of the destruction rather than firm counts of the dead.
His prime minister, Jean-Max Bellerive, tells CNN: "I believe we are well over 100,000," while leading senator Youri Latortue tells The Associated Press that 500,000 could be dead. Both admit they have no way of knowing.
The magnitude-7 quake struck Tuesday afternoon.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. |
