Haiti Rocked by Magnitude 7 Quake, Catastophe Feared, Donations Asked

The strongest earthquake in 200 years rocked the impoverished population of Haiti, Tuesday. Government buildings collapsed as well as residential houses. Many are feared to have been dead or missing due to the status of building in the area.

According to reports communications had been widely disrupted, making it impossible to get a full picture of damage as powerful aftershocks had occurred.

"There might be thousands of dead," Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in Port-au-Prince, told U.S. colleagues before phone service failed.

"He reported that it was just total disaster and chaos, that there were clouds of dust surrounding Port-au-Prince," Fajardo said from the group's offices in Maryland.



The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered about 10 miles (15 kilometers) west of Port-au-Prince at a depth of 5 miles (8 kilometers), the U.S. Geological Survey said. USGS geophysicist Kristin Marano called it the strongest earthquake since 1770 in what is now Haiti. In 1946, a magnitude-8.1 quake struck the Dominican Republic and also shook Haiti, producing a tsunami that killed 1,790 people.

The American Red Cross is pledging an initial $200,000 to assist communities impacted by this earthquake, and is prepared to take further action as local responders assess the situation.

The International Community is asking everyone to help and send in their donations to help in this unfolding disaster.

You can help too by considering a small donation to these organizations.

Americares - which has information about the destruction on their website as well as a donation page

American Red Cross - This organization helps all over the world and takes donations

Yele Haiti -Wyclef Jean's Haiti website with donation button

Meanwhile, there are also no immediate reports on Filipinos in Haiti. In an exchange of messages, Elmer Cato, first secretary, peacekeeping officer, and press officer of the Philippine Mission based in New York, said the mission is concerned about the safety of Filipino peacekeepers, composed of 157 troops and 22 police officers led by Lieutenant Colonel Lope Dagoy, as well as the estimated 500 Filipino civilian expatriates working there. (as reported by Inquirer)


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