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How You Can Help Haiti
(January 15, 2010) As its citizens struggle in the aftermath of the horror of this week's earthquake in Haiti, people from around the world are offering help, in the form of volunteers, supplies and, of course, cash.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade recommends cash donations over donations of goods, saying money can have the immediate impact that's needed.
And in a country such as Haiti, already suffering so much prior to this latest disaster - one child in eight dies before the age of five, and 72 per cent of its people live in extreme poverty - any and all donations can go a long way.
There are many options for people who wish to make a donation to the relief efforts, including:
- The Humanitarian Coalition: a joint effort between Oxfam Canada, Oxfam Quebec, CARE Canada and Save the Children. The humanitarian coalition is dedicated to a united response in cases of humanitarian crises (www.thehumanitariancoalition.ca)
- Canadian Red Cross: the Canadian arm of the international aid and medical relief organization works around the world through the federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, based in Geneva, Switzerland (www.redcross.ca)
- UNICEF Canada: this well-known organization raises funds to support UNICEF's work for children in more than 150 countries and territories and build awareness among Canadians about the issues facing the world's children (www.unicef.ca)
- Plan Canada: works to promote child rights and lift millions of children out of poverty based around eight core areas: education, health, water and sanitation, protection, economic security, child participation, sexual health including HIV (www.plancanada.ca)
- Direct Relief International: provides specifically requested medical resources to community-based organizations in 59 countries (www.directrelief.org)
- Doctors Without Borders: international organization that focuses on emergency medical relief in areas where there is no medical infrastructure or where the existing one cannot withstand the pressure to which it is subjected (www.msf.ca)
- United Jewish Appeal of Greater Toronto: seeking donations and has already sent $45,000 to IsraAid: The Forum for International Humanitarian Aid, to support search and rescue efforts in Haiti. The group is sending a team that includes medical staff to Haiti (www.feduja.org)
- Salvation Army: this Christian organization is asking Canadians with Rogers and Bell cellphones to donate $5 or more by texting the word "haiti" to 45678. Donations can also be mailed or dropped off at local offices (www.salvationarmy.ca)
- World Vision Canada: a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization that works with children, families and communities around the world to deal with poverty and injustice (www.worldvision.ca)
- SOS Children's Villages: this independent, non-governmental social development organization works to unite families, shape futures and develop communities and has been doing so since 1949 (www.soschildrensvillages.ca)
- Samaritan's Purse: this organization's emergency relief programs provide assistance to victims of natural disaster, war, disease and famine, through provision of food, water and shelter (www.samaritanspurse.ca)
- The Mennonite Central Committee: MCC's work in Haiti over the past years has focused on reforestation and environmental education, human rights and advocacy for food security. MCC is responding to the Haiti earthquake with emergency assistance and long term reconstruction and trauma support (www.mcc.org)
- Centre d'étude et de cooperation internationale (CISC): CISC is a private, not-for-profit corporation that fights poverty around the world, and has operations based in Haiti. The group's headquarters are in Montreal (www.ceci.ca)
- FTC Canada: this Christian organization tackles hunger around the world, and has operations in Haiti, where it offers food and education to children (www.ftccanada.ca)
- United Nations World Food Programme: while not a Canadian organization, the UN WFP is a major international agency devoted to fighting hunger around the world, and is voluntarily funded. It's currently mobilizing all available resources to Haiti (www.wfp.org)
There are other options, of course, some of which you can link directly to via CanadaHelps, a registered charity dedicated to helping Canadians donate online. For more information, visit the CanadaHelps website.
As well, the Government of Canada announced yesterday it will match donations by individual Canadians for assistance in Haiti, until Feb. 12. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) will allocate these funds – up to $50 million – to Canadian and international humanitarian and development organizations.
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