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Thousands of people are affected by the devastating earthquake that hit the Caribbean island of Haiti around 9am (AEST) on 13 January 2010. The most effective way you can support the relief effort at this point in time is through a cash donation to a non-government organisation already working in Haiti. For more information see the Australian Council for International Development's How Can I Help?
Here are links to current Australian NGO emergency appeals for Haiti:
Act For Peace - the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
ActionAid
Australian Red Cross
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA)
CARE Australia
Caritas Australia
Compassion Australia
Oxfam Australia
Plan International Australia
Samaritan's Purse Australia
Save the Children
World Vision Australia
Some prominent international agencies also working in Haiti include:
Avaaz(coordinating funds for Haitian Community Organisations)
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
UN Central Emergency Relief Fund
UNICEF
World Food Program
If you're having trouble deciding which organisation to donate to, be proactive and do some research to help you decide. Things to think about include:
- How long the organisation has worked in Haiti
- The type of work the organisation does, e.g. whether it is a relief/emergency agency or community development organisation; whether it focuses on children, food aid, medical support, infrastructure etc
- The values (political or religious) of the organisation
- How much money is spent on raising money, administrative costs, salaries etc
Here's an update of Australian government assistance to Haiti (AusAID media release 14 January 2010).
Please share any other relevant comments and links you've come across. And if you have donated, please tell us which organisation you chose and why. To learn more about climate and poverty, you can click here to go to the info-bank. |
