*Update: we have heard through Friends of the Earth that one of our main 350 allies in Haiti, Aldrin Calixte of Haiti Survie is safe, though he reports that some of his colleagues are still missing, and that their office has collapsed. We’ll keep updating this post as we hear more news from our friends on the ground.
You’ve likely heard the news that yesterday, a major earthquake hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti, devastating the capitol of Port-au-Prince. Officials are reporting widespread chaos, collapsed hospitals and schools, and a death toll rumoring to be in the thousands. Upon this solemn news, we’ve reached out to our friends and allies in Haiti, and in the neighboring country of the Dominican Republic, to see how the 350 family can help out. Here are just a few of the beautiful pictures from October 24th of Haitian communities taking action to find solutions to climate change and build resilience to the kind of natural disasters their country is prone to:
At the time of the earthquake striking, Haiti was still recovering from a terrible hurricane season in 2008, when 4 hurricanes made landfall within 30 days, causing widespread damage to the country with already notoriously weak infrastructure and an extremely impacted environment. The problem is, in a world above 350, these sorts of events are almost certain to happen again, and with more frequency and force – making it all the more important for a global movement to work together to help those most vulnerable amongst us to build resilience, and respond to these disasters. And of course to work harder than ever this year to put our planet on a course back to safety, back to 350ppm, to safeguard the survival of all nations. Please, share what you can with these relief efforts:
•Oxfam is rushing in teams from around the region to respond to the situation to provide clean water, shelter, sanitation and help people recover. Donate to Oxfam America online.
•The Baptist Haiti Mission is operating an 82-bed hospital that is "overflowing with injured." Donate online to BHM and 100% of your donation will go to the relief effort.
•International Medical Corps is assembling a team of first responders and resources to provide lifesaving medical care and other emergency services to survivors of the earthquake. Donate online.
•The American Red Cross is pledging an initial $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake. They expect to provide immediate needs for food, water, temporary shelter, medical services and emotional support. They are accepting donations through their International Response Fund.
•UNICEF has issued a statement that "Children are always the most vulnerable population in any natural disaster, and UNICEF is there for them." UNICEF requests donations for relief for children in Haiti via their Haiti Earthquake Fund. You can also call 1-800-4UNICEF.
•Partners in Health, Paul Farmer’s group, is also leading a relief effort.
To get updates about what’s happening on the ground, follow @oxfam on Twitter.