A 7.0 earthquake struck the Haitian coast on 12 January rocking the capital affecting the cities of Port-au-Prince, Carrefour and Jacmel, all located in the West Province area which has an estimated population of 2.2 million.  The epicenter was located 22 kilometers from the capital, Port-au-Prince, a densely populated area.  A series of aftershocks have been felt and most people are in the streets, fearful of any standing structure.  

It is being reported that he number of deaths could be in the hundreds of thousands with many more injured.  Recent estimates indicate that at least three million people have been affected by the earthquake. In addition to the destruction of innumerable homes, many major structures have been reduced to rubble.  As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is ill-equipped to respond to such a disaster.

“The devastation caused by the recent earthquake is beyond imagination. The survivors of this disaster desperately need our help and support, now and for the foreseeable future.  We must respond immediately and are directing all of donors to provide financial support to the following organizations,” Dr. Laila Al-Marayati

UNICEF:  www.unicef.org   and Partners in Health: http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti