Help Haitians Rapid Response
by Rachel Turner
photo by Allison Kwesell
On January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, plunging the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere into another disaster.
SCORE International is using its base in the Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to plan relief efforts for the Haitian people. With donations provided, SCORE staff will rent vehicles to fill with food, water, and medicine, and travel to Haiti with the supplies.
Tuesday’s earthquake hit 10 miles southwest of Haiti’s capital with a depth of only 5 miles causing extensive damage. The city of about 2 million people has suffered countless deaths. Buildings have been severely damaged, including the presidential palace, a hospital, a school, and the U.N. headquarters.
Aftershocks continue to rattle the city as people walk the streets crying, stunned by the devastation. According to the Associated Press, Haitians are piling bodies along the streets next to collapsed buildings after the strongest earthquake in over 200 years hit Port-au-Prince.
The earthquake was felt in the Dominican Republic which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, but no major damage has been reported.
SCORE International is accepting donations for the Help Haitians Rapid Response Effort at the give page:http://scoreinternational.org/give/.
Volunteers may travel to Haiti with SCORE for $1200 which includes airfare, meals, lodging, supplies, and ground transportation overseas. Dates include: January 30 – February 4 and every Saturday through Thursday for the following six weeks. For more information, please contact Trey Bailey at trey@scoreinternational.org or call 423-894-7111.
MSNBC: Haiti Earthquake http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34829978/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake
