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

Joe Lowry, a spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, addresses the most serious concerns in Haiti and discusses how the Haitian Red Cross will continue to respond to emergency needs with an eye to the future recovery process that will need to take place. This includes getting people back to work, establishing a health care system and ensuring that housing is safe.

Tracy Reines, Director of Response Operations for the American Red Cross, discusses the latest for the disaster response to Haiti as of 11 PM EST on Tuesday night. For more information on how your can help, visit www.redcross.org.You can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. Donations to the International Response Fund can be sent to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org.We are not accepting volunteers to travel to Haiti. If you would like to volunteer for the American Red Cross, please contact your local chapter. For inquiries about relatives living and who have citizenship in Haiti, please be patient and call repeatedly until the lines clear or contact other family members who live nearby. Telephone, Internet and other communication lines are often disrupted in times of disaster. People trying to locate U.S. citizens living or traveling in Haiti should contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747 or 202-647-5225.

Tracy Reines, Director of the International Response Operations Center at the American Red Cross, discusses the latest for the response to the earthquake in Haiti as of 5 PM EST on Friday night. For more information on how you can help visit http://www.redcross.orgYou can help the victims of countless crises around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. Donations to the International Response Fund can be sent to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org.We are not accepting volunteers to travel to Haiti. If you would like to volunteer for the American Red Cross, please contact your local chapter. For inquiries about relatives living and who have citizenship in Haiti, please be patient and call repeatedly until the lines clear or contact other family members who live nearby. Telephone, Internet and other communication lines are often disrupted in times of disaster. People trying to locate U.S. citizens living or traveling in Haiti should contact the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at 1-888-407-4747 or 202-647-5225.

Disaster Services Technology Manager Keith Robertory explains satellite communications technology Red Cross workers have taken to assist in relief efforts in Haiti.

President Obama provides an update on relief operations and pledges the full support of the U.S. Government to help Haiti respond to a devastating earthquake. January 14, 2010.