Haiti Earthquake Relief

 
 

 
Haiti  -  2010 Earthquake Relief 
 
This information about the January 12 earthquake disaster in Haiti is provided by the U.S. State Department. 

For 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 1-888-407-4747;  Haiti-Earthquake@state.gov.  Outside of the U.S. and Canada, call 202-501-4444.  

In your inquiries, please try to have available the following information related to your person(s) of interest:  Person(s) full name; date of birth; citizenship; time, date, and place of last known location; any contact information, such as a cell phone number or hotel/church, etc. number, where the person could be reached; e-mail address (we understand the Embassy is able to receive e-mails from U.S. citizens in country at this time).

For further information and updates, please see the State Department’s Consular Affairs website. 

Latest updates can be found at: www.state.gov/haitiquake/


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.  You can find additional information about adoptions in Haiti at http://adoption.state.gov/news/Haiti.html#.


Contributions/Donations:

 If you wish to make contributions and donations to disaster relief, the following web links may help:

The most effective way people can assist relief efforts is by making cash contributions to humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations.  Information on organizations responding to the humanitarian situation in Haiti may be available at www.reliefweb.int, and at USAID: www.usaid.gov  – Keyword: Donations.   

The State Department helped set up a short code for those wishing to send immediate monetary assistance.  To take advantage of this, people can text "HAITI" to "90999" and $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross, charged to your cell phone bill.    

Click this link to the Center for International Disaster Information's (CIDI) Guidelines  and  CIDI FAQ, which will be helpful in answering questions from people around the country about monetary and non-monetary donations. That website also has the Guidelines available in French and Kreyol, if you should need them.  You may also visit the CIDI website at: http://www.cidi.org/req_offr.htm

CIDI Hotline: 703-276-1914


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.


Volunteer Opportunities:

Additionally, persons who wish to provide assistance or expertise in Haiti are asked to contact the Center for International Disaster Information. The Center, operated under a grant from the United States Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, has established a dedicated page to coordinate Haiti support at:  http://www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/  or call 703-276-1914.


Haiti Travel Alert

United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
January 13, 2010

"The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the situation in Haiti and urges them to avoid travel to Haiti in the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12. An earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck near Port Au Prince, followed by multiple aftershocks. The U.S. Embassy is working to ascertain the extent of the damage and check on the status of U.S. citizens around the island. The Department of State has ordered nonemergency U.S. government personnel to depart Haiti. This Travel Alert expires on March 13, 2010.

There are reports of extensive damage, and communications remain extremely difficult. Additional aftershocks remain a possibility. A Tsunami Watch for Haiti and neighboring islands issued by the Pacific Tsunami Alert Center has expired.

U.S. citizens in Haiti should remain in shelter. If exposed when an aftershock hits, take steps to avoid falling debris by getting to as open a space as possible, away from walls, windows, buildings and other structures. If indoors, take shelter under a heavy table or desk, or in a doorway. Avoid damaged buildings, and obey all instructions from local authorities. Do not use matches, lighters, candles or other flame in case of disrupted gas lines. Avoid downed power lines.

If possible, U.S. citizens in Haiti should contact friends and relatives outside of Haiti to inform them of their welfare.

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 are urged to contact the Embassy via email 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. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, call 202-501-4444."