7.0 Earthquake in Haiti

[ABM]

Port-au-Prince in shambles.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-haiti-quake13-2010jan13,0,7871308.story

 

[ABM]

The palace suffered major damage.

Overall, deemed catastrophic.

 

[yakbladder]

Not surprising..Haiti's infrastructure is crap, their buildings are crap, their homes are crap, their roads are crap. The mere fact they haven't condemned the entire nation and shut it down is a moderate surprise.

That aside, I hope that not too many are hurt but I suspect there's going to be some pretty horrific video coming out in a few days.

 

[Rodolfo]

If you're interested in supporting relief efforts, you can send $5 by texting YELE to 501501.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Not surprising..Haiti's infrastructure is crap, their buildings are crap, their homes are crap, their roads are crap. The mere fact they haven't condemned the entire nation and shut it down is a moderate surprise.

That aside, I hope that not too many are hurt but I suspect there's going to be some pretty horrific video coming out in a few days.

It's kind of hard when the average population is living on a dollar a day.

 

[¹²³]

The mere fact they haven't condemned the entire nation and shut it down is a moderate surprise.

How do you shut down a nation?

 

[Colonel Ronan]

How do you shut down a nation?

Cover the border in tape and board up the windows?

 

[yakbladder]

How do you shut down a nation?

I was being tongue-in-cheek.

 

[yakbladder]

It's kind of hard when the average population is living on a dollar a day.

It is. But they didn't help themselves by having one or two coup d' etats.

How do you explain the fact that the other side of the same island seems to have done much better?

 

[Colonel Ronan]

I was being tongue-in-cheek.

Classy.

 

[Shapecity]

Those photos of the quake are devastating. Very sad what they are going through right now.

 

[MikeDC]

Reputable places to donate money:
Partners in Health
Haiti Partners

 

[hasoos]

Absolutely brutal what happened there. The people there do want better lives. They just lived under tyrants for a long time, and that is what happens in countries ran by Tyrants. They have been working really hard in the recent years to get things turned around there, and it is sad to see all that work go to waste.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

Interesting that the USA's response to this will probably be bigger and more comprehensive than the response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

 

[yakbladder]

Classy.

Hey, it's half true. I feel bad for them for the earthquake, but their country's situation isn't entirely just "bad luck". Again, how is it the other side of the island seems to be relatively free of these issues?

 

[Ed O]

How do you explain the fact that the other side of the same island seems to have done much better?

The French.

Ed O.

 

[Buzz Killington]

Interesting that the USA's response to this will probably be bigger and more comprehensive than the response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

will it really?

 

[illmatic99]

The death toll is projected to be 100,000+.

That is just unfathomable.

 

[Buzz Killington]

That's pretty fucking insane. I have only caught bits and pieces...crazy that they have no hospitals there anymore, they all got fucked.

 

[Rodolfo]

You knew it was coming. Pat Robertson...
[video=youtube;S5nraknWoes]

 

[Shapecity]

Interesting that the USA's response to this will probably be bigger and more comprehensive than the response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Well George W. Bush hates black people. Fortunately for the Haitians he's no longer in charge.

 

[chris_in_pdx]

You knew it was coming. Pat Robertson...

In other shocking developments, the sky is blue.

 

[yakbladder]

Any one see the flyover pictures? Pretty scary.

And how the heck did the Chinese already get there with a search and recovery team and we're still a day away? We should be able to fly people in ASAP and quickly follow that with infrastructure needs (toilets, etc.) for the recovery teams.

 

[Denny Crane]

Interesting that the USA's response to this will probably be bigger and more comprehensive than the response to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

I'm sure we'll be one of the larger donors, but we spent $200B on New Orleans and I doubt we'll be sending even $1B to Haiti.

 

[ehizzy3]

Yvenson Bernard is trying to setup places in portland to donate..I'm gonna donate tons of old clothes.

 

[Shapecity]

USA is committing $100M in humanitarian aid. By far the largest amount from any other nation. France is only contributing $4.5M that is weak.

 

[Wheels]

Yvenson Bernard is trying to setup places in portland to donate..I'm gonna donate tons of old clothes.

I heard his interview on the way to work. His half brother who is 8 is missing. thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved.. obviously not just his family.. but still very sad to hear.

 

[Shapecity]

A glance at some of the international aid pledges for victims of the earthquake in Haiti:

• The U.S. government is making an initial $100 million relief effort and is sending ships, helicopters, transport planes and 2,000 Marines.

• Canada is sending $5 million Canadian (US$4.8 million) and matching contributions by individual Canadians to eligible charitable organizations up to a total of $50 million Canadian (US$47 million). Ottawa is also sending two navy ships, helicopters, transport planes and a disaster response team.

• The World Bank is providing a $100 million grant, and the U.N. is sending $10 million.

• Britain is sending $10 million. A four-person government assessment team and 71 rescue specialists along with search dogs and heavy equipment arrived Thursday.

• Australia has pledged $9.3 million; Norway, about 30 million kroner ($5.3 million); Japan, up to $5 million; Italy, euro1 million ($1.46 million); and the European Commission, euro3 million ($4.37 million).

• The Netherlands and the Italian bishops' conference have each donated euro2 million. Denmark has donated 10 million kroner ($1.9 million) and Finland is giving euro1.25 million ($1.8 million). South Korea has pledged aid worth $1 million.

• Irish telecommunications company Digicel said it would donate $5 million and help repair the phone network.

• Spain has pledged euro3 million ($4.37 million), and sent rescue teams and 100 tons of equipment. Germany gave euro1.5 million ($2.17 million) and sent an immediate response team.

• India and China will each donate $1 million and China is sending a 60-member relief team with sniffer dogs.

• Sweden has offered 6 million kronor ($850,000), along with tents, water purification equipment and medical aid. It is also sending a team to build a new base to replace the U.N.'s destroyed headquarters.

• Venezuela has sent doctors, firefighters and rescue workers. Mexico will send doctors, search-and-rescue dogs and infrastructure experts. France is sending 125 security and rescue workers as well as aid supplies.

• Iceland and Portugal are each sending more than 30 rescue workers. Taiwan has sent 23 rescue workers and two tons of aid and equipment.

• Israel plans to open a field hospital and is sending 220 rescue workers.

• A Swiss rescue team is arriving overland from the Dominican Republic. A flight carrying 40-50 tons of aid goods is planned for Friday.

 

[Shapecity]

The US is donating more than all the other nations combined.

 

[RR7]

Glad to see the amount of aid we are donating. I wish, when there were complaints from people about our effects on the world, they would remember the sorts of lengths we go to when something like this happens. The amount of people and money we send, as well as mobilizing our citizens to donate and help as well. I woudl be interested to see the amount of private donations by country.