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General News

On Jan. 12, a series of earthquakes with magnitude 6.5 to 7.3 struck Haiti in the highly populated area of Department Ouest, 10 miles from Port-au-Prince. Aftershocks are continuing to occur.

Current media reports indicate collapsed buildings including hospitals and government buildings, and that the earthquake was felt as far as Cuba.

How you can help
For an international response, a monetary gift is the best way to help those in need. Certain in-kind donations may not be appropriate for cultural, political, economic or administrative reasons

You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent.

American Red Cross response in Haiti

The American Red Cross has pledged $1 million to assist those in Haiti. The Red Cross is also:

• making available all the relief supplies at its warehouse in Panama (enough for 5,000 families) in support of relief efforts. These supplies include blankets, kitchen sets, and water containers to meet immediate needs of survivors.
  
• sending a disaster specialist immediately to Haiti to support response efforts.
  
• putting several experienced disaster specialists on standby to be deployed if requested.
  
• putting staff on the ground in Haiti and is working to obtain information on the situation.
  
• monitoring the situation and communicate with the Haiti Red Cross and International Federation for future immediate action.