http://timesofearth.com/Health/?NT=3&… WASHINGTON – Governments and international aid agencies have pledged assistance to Haiti after a massive earthquake levelled buildings and caused an unknown number of casualties.Struck by the strongest quake in more than 25 years, hundreds of people are feared dead in what has been described as “a catastrophe of major proportions”.In a statement Barack Obama, the US president, said his government stood “ready to assist the people of Haiti,” as the state department, the US Agency for International Development (USAid) and the United States Southern Command sent search and rescue teams to the Caribbean nation.Hillary Clinton, the secretary of state, said both military and civilian disaster assistance would be sent to Haiti.”The United States is offering our full assistance to Haiti and to others in the region. We will be providing both civilian and military disaster relief and humanitarian assistance and our prayers are with the people who have suffered, their families and their loved ones,” she said in a speech in Hawaii.USAid said it was sending disaster response teams made up of 72 personnel, six search-and-rescue dogs and up to 48 tonnes of rescue equipment.”This is a tragic situation and we will work alongside the Haitian government to provide immediate assistance in the rescue effort,” Rajiv Shah, USAid chief, told the AFP news agency.Aid agencies have said speed is essential in helping survivors, although the first full assessments of the devastation and relief requirements are not likely to begin until first light on Wednesday.”The immediate needs are medication and health care, drinking water, water purification filters and then basic needs such as shelter and hygiene kits the basic necessities for living,” Amy Knorr, Haiti programme manager for the charity World Vision, told Reuters news agency. The United Nations has also joined the relief effort, with former US president Bill Clinton, now a UN special envoy for Haiti, saying that his office and the rest of the UN system were monitoring information coming out of the country.”We are committed to do whatever we can to assist the people of Haiti in their relief, rebuilding and recovery efforts,” he said.Venezuela said it would send a military plane with food, medicine and drinking water, as well as a team of 50 recue workers. Mexico, which has long experience of dealing with devastating earthquakes, is sending a team of doctors and search and rescue workers. Already the poorest nation in the Americas, Haiti has been hit by a series of disasters recently and was battered by hurricanes in 2008.The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) is providing $200,000 in immediate emergency aid which can be used to provide food, potable water, medicines and temporary shelter. The World Bank, whose local offices were destroyed in the earthquake, is planning to send a team to assess damage. —————- Copyright 2010 THE TIMES OF EARTH (TOE). All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton are arriving in Haiti this week to survey reconstruction needs following the 12 January earthquake. Haitian officials say less food aid and more jobs are needed to get the Haitian economy running again. Some major organizations are scaling back donation efforts beginning April 1st. But as VOA’s Steve Baragona reports, many Haitians are still in urgent need of food.

Haiti earthquake Doctors Without Borders (MSF). Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF), operations manager Paul McPhun described the situation in Haiti. MSF teams are working on medical projects Haiti. They are treatinghundreds of injured. They are setting up clinics in tents to replace their own damaged medical facilities. A massive earthquake struck the Caribbean island of Haiti. Thousands are feared dead with many more seriously injured. The epicentre of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake was just 16 kilometres from the capital Port-au-Prince. Much of the city is made up of slums and poorly constructed houses that would not be able to withstand an earthquake. The scale of the disaster is not yet known as all communication lines are currently down. But there are reports that homes, government buildings and hotels have collapsed, with people still being dug out of the rubble. The earthquake struck at 5pm local time on Tuesday 12 January 2010, and many people are spending the night on the streets. Several strong aftershocks caused further chaos and panic. Poorly resourced hospitals are struggling to cope with the large numbers of injured people and there is an urgent need for emergency medical care, food, clean water and shelter. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, and struggles from endemic poverty, food shortages and violence. It has suffered from many recent natural disasters including serious hurricanes and storms in 2008. MSF is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971. It provides medical aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened. For further information contact http://www.msf.org?spsyed_youtube

WARNING: THE FOLLOWING FILM CONTAINS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC IMAGES WHICH MAY BE UNSUITABLE FOR SENSITIVE VIEWERS. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.The following is a visual compilation dedicated to raising awareness of the earthquake in Haiti and the relief and the aid that is required there. Please donate. Even today, screams are still audible from beneath the rubble.I give full credit to Google Images, CBS News, Sky News, Coldplay, Parlophone, etc. I own nothing.If I have left anyone out, please email me and I will be glad to add your name to the above list of credits. Consider this my bibliography/works cited list. All credit belongs to you. Thank you.As I am an aspiring filmmaker, I would appreciate feedback on this project, both positive and constructive. Thank you.

Haiti Earthquake 10 – Logistics & Colin Powell Assessment BBC News America 150110

Members of Haitian communities across the globe are trying to reach their loved ones in the wake of Tuesday’s earthquake. One of the largest communities of Haitians outside of the country itself is in Central Florida. Steve Mort reports for VOA from Orlando on how people there are responding to the crisis.