As you know, the magnitude 7 quake that struck Haiti this past Tuesday has become a major catastrophe for the region to say the least.  Thousands of people are without shelter, food and water.  There has been no firm estimate on how many people have lost their lives in the quake but experts estimate that toll could be in the thousands.  The international Red Cross estimated 3 million people (a third of the population) may need emergency relief.

In response, The Quiksilver Foundation is making a contribution to Operation USA.  Operation USA is an international relief agency that helps communities at home and abroad overcome the effects of disasters, disease and endemic poverty by providing privately-funded relief, reconstruction and development aid.  Our contribution to Operation USA will help to gather the much needed medical and emergency supplies.

If you would like to make a personal contribution,  listed below are  a number of different NGO’s (non-governmental organization) that are taking donations to purchase the resources needed (i.e. temporary shelters, food, water and medical supplies).

• 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 at   https://american.redcross.org/site/Donation2?4306.donation=form1&idb=428732091&df_id=4306&JServSessionIdr004=yxa9a0v901.app194a&NoJSReload=1

• 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. https://secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2?df_id=6680&6680.donation=form1 You can also call 1-800-4UNICEF.

• Donate through Wyclef Jean’s foundation, Yele Haiti at http://www.yele.org/ or Text “Yele” to 501501 and $5 will be charged to your phone bill and given to relief projects through the organization.

• Operation USA is appealing for donations of funds from the public and corporate donations in bulk of health care materials, water purification supplies and food supplements which it will ship to the region from its base in the Port of Los Angeles. Donate online at http://www.opusa.org/ or by phone at 1-800-678-7255 or, by check made out to Operation USA, 3617 Hayden Ave, Suite A, Culver City, CA 90232.

• 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. The IMC previously helped recovery efforts after September 2009’s earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, and the massive 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. Donate to the International Medical Corps through their 24-hour hotline at 800-481-4462 or on the web at http://www.imcworldwide.org/Page.aspx?pid=332

• Ben Stiller’s http://www.stillerstrong.org/ campaign will be temporarily diverting all donations to support the Haiti relief effort.

• Mercy Corps is sending a team of emergency responders to assess damage, and seek to fulfill immediate needs of quake survivors. The agency aided families after earthquakes in Peru in 2007, China and Pakistan in 2008, and Indonesia last year. Donate online at http://www.mercycorps.org/, call 1-888-256-1900 or send checks to Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund; Dept NR; PO Box 2669; Portland, OR 97208.

• Doctors Without Borders is on the ground and has set up clinics to treat injured in Haiti. Donate any amount at http://doctorswithoutborders.org/ so they can keep their efforts going.

• 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 at https://secure.oxfamamerica.org/site/Donation2?idb=12200272&3600.donation=form1&df_id=3600&JServSessionIdr004=65h0vak8m1.app240a

Thank you for your help and support.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by this tragedy.

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 at 3:17 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.