Earthquake in Haiti 

On Tuesday, January 12, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the nation of Haiti. In these first critical hours, government and aid organizations are focusing on saving lives and supporting recovery. 
 
For the most up to date information, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake.

Locate Loved Ones
Families of American citizens living in Haiti who are trying to find the status of their loved ones are encouraged to contact the State Department at 1-888-407-4747. This line is experiencing a high volume of calls at this time, so please be patient.

In addition, the American Red Cross has established a website called Family Links. It is a site where victims in the disaster area can register. In addition, it allows relatives to register if they are looking for people in the affected area. This site accepts all inquiries, regardless of citizenship. Please visit http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/.

The Salvation Army is also providing health, welfare and disaster response information through the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network. 

Monetary Donations 

Cash donations are the most efficient and effective way to help the relief effort in Haiti right now. They allow humanitarian organizations to purchase (often within the affected region itself) the exact type and quantity of items needed by those affected by the crisis. Make a donation to immediately assist the relief effort through the following organizations:

• The Samuel Dalembert Foundation - During the January 15 76ers game in Philadelphia, Samuel Dalembert presented a check for $100,000 as his initial contribution to Haiti Earthquake Relief. He also pledged to match any donations made by fans during the game. Representatives from his charitable partner UNICEF were present to detail the efforts on the ground in Haiti in response to the tragedy. Please consider making your own donation today at www.dalembertfoundation.org or www.unicef.org.

• Partners In Health - http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti.  

• Doctors Without Borders - www.doctorswithoutborders.com.  

Supply Donations

Further Relief Efforts

Those looking to donate time, supplies or funds should contact the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) at 703-276-1914, or visit them on-line at http://www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/. USAID.gov also has a list of Non-Governmental Organizations and instructions on how to help. 

Philadelphia encourages the public to focus their efforts on supporting established aid organizations that are deploying resources to Haiti, and to hold off on traveling there themselves.