Relief to the Haiti Earthquake Survivors
An earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale has devastated the lives of millions of inhabitants of Haiti. The death toll is nearing 200,000 as more bodies are being uncovered. Three quarters of the capital Port-au-Prince has collapsed to the ground and needs to be rebuilt. Infrastructure is a major roadblock in getting help to people on time. Haiti does not have the resilience to come out of this disaster without immediate help.
While bodies such as the UNICEF, American Red Cross, Operation USA, and International Corps are working around-the-clock to provide relief services, small businesses across the world can do their bit to support the effort.
Credit card processing companies can waive off processing fees for credit card donations made towards Haiti charities. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover have rebated or waived processing fees for donations made out to select major US charities.
Medical equipment suppliers can donate medicines and equipments. The need for medical supplies will rise as uncollected bodies putrefy and basic amenities are not made available. Urgent medical services will be required to fight the spread of malaria, typhoid, dengue and diarrheal disease – the usual aftermath of disasters of this scale.
Architectural services, construction companies and engineering services can offer their assistance in rebuilding the capital. Construction vehicles such as excavators and bulldozers can help by clearing debris quickly, and unblocking roads. Construction equipment can be made available to the Haiti state for faster construction of homes and basic facilities for the homeless.
Food and beverage companies can donate supplies. Truck trailers can be sent out to help relief teams as there is an acute shortage of trucks.
If not through their products and services, small businesses can make a contribution by paying a percentage of their sales towards Haiti relief funds.
People who haven’t been killed by the earthquake are now dying of thirst and hunger. Food and clean water is scarce and help is not reaching people fast enough. In spite of relief teams working tirelessly for the last three days, 2-3 million people are still in dire need.