WASHINGTON -- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today issued the following statement regarding the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the citizens of Haiti, Haitian-Americans, those who have been injured or killed as well as the missing persons from all over the globe who have been caught in this horrific earthquake, including people from New Jersey.

“It is my hope that the international community will work together to provide swift and efficient search and rescue efforts, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to all of those who have been affected. Nations around the world must also combine resources and cooperate to help Haiti recover from such a catastrophic event.

“For anyone who may have missing family members to report or would like to offer assistance to the recovery effort, please visit my website at lance.house.gov for more information.”

Help for New Jersey Families in Haiti

1. Contact the State Department: Families can call the Bureau of Consular Affairs Overseas Citizens Services at 888-407-4747 to report missing family members.

2. Register with our Office: Constituents can call our district offices (Westfield: 908-518-7733, Flemington: 908-788-6900) to initiate a case for assistance. We will need the name, address and total number of people in the household to reach out to State Department for assistance.

3. To offer Private Assistance: Anyone wishing to donate or provide assistance to Haiti should contact the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI). CIDI has established a dedicated page to coordinate Haiti support at www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/. To make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts, you can also visit online organizations like the Salvation Army, the Red Cross and Mercy Corps.

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