I'm blowing the dust off this blog. After the last 18 months, it's hard to know where to start. But, I have to start somewhere.
So, let's start with Haiti. You all know the facts. The 2010 earthquake left the island devastated and it never fully recovered. Now, another serious earthquake has hit, followed by a hurricane, and all of this in the context of significant political upheaval following the assassination of the country's president and now gangs controlling many parts of the nation.
And also, all of this is happening in the midst of the chaos in Afghanistan, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, fires in the western part of the US, and the other, daily disasters. There is significant risk of donor fatigue. There is, however, a need to pay attention.
Where to consider giving
- Partners in Health. PIH has been working in Haiti for decades and has a strong, collaborative presence in the country. They are dedicated to improving the local medical infrastructure, including setting up teaching hospitals. PIH is actively responding to the conditions on the ground and will be there long after the world's attention shifts again.
- Doctors without Borders (Medecins sans Frontieres). Actively working in country, providing surgery, follow-up and general medical care.
- Mercy Corps. Mercy Corps was already on-ground in Haiti providing general developmental aid. They are continuing their work around providing for basic needs including food, water, and shelter.
- Save the Children. Another NGO that was already actively working in-country. As the name suggests, they focus on children (and their families). They work on both basic needs and educational supports. Strong follow-up as well as emergency response. They note they were already working with over 90,000 children a year.
- Team Rubicon. Team Rubicon has mobilized volunteer teams for response. One news article I saw said that the civil unrest means that volunteer teams and all NGOs are facing serious security issues and concerns. However, they seem to be moving forward.
- The Center for Disaster Philanthropy's Haiti Fund. CDP works with philanthropists across the globe (albeit primarily in the US) to track disasters, funding in response to disasters, and to administer long-term funds for the rebuilding phases of disaster recovery.
