Washington, D.C. -  As the critical 72-hour window after the earthquake draws to a close, the situation in Haiti remains extremely dire, but the results of the massive humanitarian relief effort that is underway are beginning to show.

President Obama has directed the Department of Defense, Department of State and US Agency for International Development to make Haiti their highest priority, and military, government and civilian personnel are streaming into the region to assist search and rescue operations over this critical 48-hour period.  The Port-au-Prince airport is serving as a staging point for relief efforts and planes from nations across the world are continuing to fly in much needed supplies.  The President also has committed $100 million in immediate relief and reconstruction funding with a promise of more to come, and private relief organizations have raised millions more in donations from individual citizens.

While this initial response has been encouraging, we cannot rest until every remaining survivor of this catastrophe has been accounted for.  As the Chairman of the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, I have been closely monitoring the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Coast Guard, and other agencies to support search and rescue operations, evacuate victims for medical attention, and help manage the flow of refugees and displaced persons. 

Having worked closely with members of Haiti’s parliament in my capacity as chairman of the House Democracy Partnership – including some who have lost their lives or remain missing – I have been both profoundly saddened by this tragedy and deeply moved by the stories of individual heroism I have already heard.  My thoughts and prayers are with those who have been personally affected by this disaster, in Haiti as well as our own country.  I also urge any concerned citizen with the means to do so to contribute to the recovery effort.

More information on the government’s response to the earthquake follows.  If you need further assistance, please contact my office at 919.859.5999 (Raleigh) or 202.225.1784 (DC).

U.S. Citizen Inquiries
The U.S. Embassy in Port Au Prince has set up a task force at the Embassy which is taking calls as conditions permit.  The Embassy is working to identify U.S. citizens in Haiti who need urgent assistance and to identify sources of emergency help.   U.S. citizens in Haiti are urged to contact the Embassy via email (ACSPaP@state.gov) to request assistance.  U.S. citizens in Haiti can call the Embassy’s Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672.  The State Department has also created a task force to monitor the emergency.

People in the U.S. or Canada with information or inquiries about U.S. citizens in Haiti may reach the Haiti Task Force at 888-407-4747; Haiti-Earthquake@state.gov.   Outside of the U.S. and Canada, call 202-501-4444.  For further information and updates, please see the State Department’s Consular Affairs website. 

Haitian Citizens in the U.S.
Haitian citizens in the U.S. should call the Haitian Embassy in Washington, D.C., 202-332-4090, or the Haitian Consulate in New York City, 305-859-2003. 

Adoptions Info
U.S. citizens with pending adoption cases in Haiti are requested to contact the Department of State at AskCI@state.gov for information about their adoption case.  In your inquiry, please include: full name and contact information of parents, full name(s) of child(ren), date(s) of birth of child(ren) [if known], and the name and contact information of orphanage.  Your constituents can find additional information about adoptions in Haiti at http://adoption.state.gov/news/Haiti.html.

Travel to Haiti
If you have planned a trip to Haiti, please be advised that the State Department has issued a travel advisory which urges U.S. citizens to avoid personal travel to Haiti at this time.  To read the full advisory, visit http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_4632.html.