Haiti struck by 7.2 magnitude earthquake Saturday – Donate to the fund that goes direct to the people

Haiti-7.2-earthquake-epicenter-Les-Cayes-Petit-Pas-Hotel-destroyed-street-crowd-081421-by-Joseph-Odelyn-AP, Haiti struck by 7.2 magnitude earthquake Saturday – Donate to the fund that goes direct to the people, World News & Views
People gather outside the Petit Pas Hotel, destroyed by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the quake’s epicenter, Les Cayes, Haiti, on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. – Photo: Joseph Odelyn, AP

Please donate to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund

A powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on Saturday morning, Aug. 14, leaving devastation in its wake. Hundreds of people have been killed, and the terrible counting has just begun.

Centered on Haiti’s southern peninsula, the earthquake severely damaged the cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie. Hospitals in the area are overwhelmed. And, to make matters even worse, Tropical Storm Grace is poised to hit Haiti this weekend.

We are reaching out to you today from the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund to ask for your immediate support for earthquake relief. We remember the 7.0 magnitude earthquake of 2010, where 300,000 perished and over 2 million Haitians ended up in tent cities. And we remember the ways in which funds collected by major aid organizations in the name of earthquake relief somehow never made it to those in need.

Haitian-people-load-injured-woman-on-plane-in-epicenter-Les-Cayes-to-PAP-for-medical-help-081421-by-Joseph-Odelyn-AP-1400x877, Haiti struck by 7.2 magnitude earthquake Saturday – Donate to the fund that goes direct to the people, World News & Views
Haitians, accustomed after years of US-backed government corruption since the 2004 coup that ended democracy to organizing rescue and relief operations themselves, take an injured woman to a private plan in the earthquake epicenter Les Cayes that will carry her to the hospital in Port au Prince. – Photo: Joseph Odelyn, AP

The Haiti Emergency Relief Fund has no paid staff or overhead. We will send each and every dollar directly to grassroots community organizations on the ground in Haiti. These groups are the ones positioned to provide the most effective support for families and communities impacted by the earthquake. When the 2010 earthquake hit the capital of Port-au-Prince, HERF funded mobile health clinics, women’s groups and community organizers who brought relief for thousands of families.

When Hurricane Matthew devastated the southern peninsula in 2016, we supported the work of grassroots activists who organized caravans with health care workers, medicine and food for people in the affected areas. To repeat, each and every dollar raised went directly to Haitian community organizations.

Haitians-spend-night-in-epicenter-Les-Cayes-hospital-garden-081421-by-Joseph-Odelyn-AP-1400x865, Haiti struck by 7.2 magnitude earthquake Saturday – Donate to the fund that goes direct to the people, World News & Views
Taking their injured family members to the hospital garden in Les Cayes in search of life-saving medical care, Haitian families camp out overnight. – Photo: Joseph Odelyn, AP

Now, Haitians are mobilizing once again at the grassroots community level, forming work brigades to respond to this new disaster. As they confront this crisis, we ask for your solidarity and support.

Please donate to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund

Donate online at http://www.haitiemergencyrelief.org/ or send checks to Haiti Emergency Relief Fund, East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, P.O. Box 4670, Berkeley, CA 94704. All donations are tax-deductible. East Bay Sanctuary Covenant is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, tax ID 94-3249753, telephone +510-595-4650.

We thank you!

Haiti Emergency Relief Fund Board of Directors: 

Walter Riley, Attorney at Law, Co-Chair
Sister Maureen Duignan, O.S.F., Co-Chair
Seth Donnelly, Educator and Long-Time Haiti Solidarity Activist
Nia Imara, Astronomer and Artist
Pierre Labossiere, Co-Founder, Haiti Action Committee
Marilyn Langlois, Human Rights and Community Advocate
Robert Roth, Educator and Co-Founder, Haiti Action Committee