Top tips to provide help to Haiti

It’s been nearly two weeks since the catastrophic 7.3 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, and people everywhere are moved by the tragic situation overseas. According to recent reports, more than 150,000 bodies have been recovered in the capital Port-Au-Prince alone, and the United Nations says it still does not know how many bodies remain buried in the rubble of collapsed buildings. Efforts are now shifting from searching for survivors to providing aid and shelter for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the catastrophic destruction.

A report at CNN.com indicates that medical teams are currently organizing to provide assistance, as an onslaught of doctors have answered the call for medical aid. Unfortunately nursing staff and safe space to provide post-traumatic care are at an extreme shortage. Healthcare providers currently in Haiti suggest that doctors and physical therapists who want to help should wait to volunteer in a few weeks or months, when thousands of amputees will need significant, specialized post-operative care.

Are you looking for a way to provide some assistance to Haitian earthquake victims?  Thanks to Mashable and additional research, we’ve compiled the following short list of authentic and reliable ways to provide emergency relief to Haiti. (Please click the “More” link to review the list.)

Fast and easy: Use your cell phone to make a donation!
Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean has created a grassroots earthquake fund at yele.org/. Simply use your cell to text “Yele” to the number 501501 and the organization will receive $5.
SMS text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 directly to the American Red Cross relief fund for Haiti.
SMS text “GIVE10″ to 20222 to donate $10 to Direct Relief.
The amount of your contribution will be added to your next cell phone bill.

The American Jewish World Service has set up the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund to respond to the crisis by supporting a network of organizations it works with.

AmeriCares is soliciting donations to a general emergency disaster relief fund and promises to provide bottled water, water purification assistance, antibiotics, and additional medicines and supplies.

Ben Stiller has created an educational foundation at StillerStrong.org and is partnering with Architecture for Humanity (AFH)  to help provide temporary schools for Haitians displaced by the earthquake. “Our goal is to help kids get back in school as quickly as possible,” said Stiller. “Schools are a safe haven for kids in times of crisis, and are instrumental in delivering not only education but also health care, nutrition, and other critical services.” Already working in Haiti prior to the earthquake, Architecture for Humanity has deep experience in quickly building low-cost, high-quality schools following natural disasters.

CARE has established the Haiti Emergency Response Fund, with a goal of raising $40 million to support a five-year effort to provide immediate relief as well as longer-term rehabilitation.

Catholic Relief Services has an office in Haiti, and is providing food, water, shelter, and health supplies.

Direct Relief International has already provided more than  $1 million in anesthetics, analgesics, and antibiotics, as well as medical supplies and equipment. This first round of items will supplement the more than $3.4 million (wholesale) in emergency aid provided to Haiti from the organization’s standing inventory.

Google has updated its Support Disaster Relief website to respond to the Haitian earthquake crisis by promising $1 million in support. The site also allows visitors to donate money specifically to either UNICEF or CARE, offers a person finder box which allows users to search for or offer information about missing persons, and also provides links to sources for additional news on the situation. To help US families reach relatives in Haiti, Google Voice is offering free calls to Haiti for the next two weeks.

On his last night hosting The The Tonight Show, Conan O’Brien promoted www.HopeForHaitiNow.org which will benefit these nonprofit organizations to provide Haiti earthquake relief: The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, United Nations World Food Programme, Oxfam America, Partners in Health and Stand with Haiti,  Red Cross, UNICEF, and Yele Haiti Foundation. One hundred percent of all donations to this site will go directly to relief organizations on the ground in Haiti. No administrative costs or other program expenses are charged by “Hope for Haiti Now.” Your gift to HopeForHaitiNow will help distribute life-saving relief supplies including food, clean water, blankets, medical supplies, and tents to children and families devastated by the earthquake and aftershocks in Haiti.

Oxfam has people on the ground to deal with the crisis, and began its efforts by trying to get clean water, shelter, and sanitation to victims of the quake. You can donate on the American or UK site, depending on where you’re located. According to Oxfam, donations for Haiti made by 2/28/10 are now tax-deductible on 2009 tax returns.

Last, but not least, According to the New York Times, the nation’s largest payment networks — Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover — will waive the traditional 1%-3% transaction fees for some contributions aimed at aiding Haiti in the wake of this devastating earthquake. That means more of the money you donate using your credit cards will find its way to the organizations providing relief.

Sadly, many fake charities have begun soliciting donations in the wake of this disaster, so if you wish to research any organization you might choose as a recipient of your kind gifts, the U.S. Better Business Bureau runs a site that allows donors to verify that a nonprofit organization is authentic before donating.

Creative Commons Haiti image courtesy of the United States Coast Guard at flickr.com

Tags: Motivational