Haiti Information
On Tuesday January 12th, 2010 at 16.53 a catastrophic 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti near Léogâne, approximately 25km west of the capital city Port-au-Prince.
The devastating quake killed an estimated 111,000 people and affected a third of the country’s 9 million population. More than half a million people are now homeless. See daily news updates on Haiti here
Haiti is classed as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The majority of Haitians live on less than $1 a day and unemployment is close to 80 percent.
The earthquake on January 12th caused severe damage to Port-au-Prince and its surrounding area, flattening areas of the city and destroying the Presidential Palace, the main jail and other major buildings. The headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), located in the capital, collapsed.
Hundreds of thousands of people are now struggling to survive in makeshift shelters across the city and surrounding areas without electricity, water, food or medical supplies.
Since the quake at least 20 countries have provided manpower, supplies or financial aid to Haiti although transportation into affected areas remains problematic with limited access by road from Port-au-Prince airport and damage to port facilities. Streets are clogged with debris and rubble making it extremely difficult to distribute desperately needed aid.
Taxback.com is working with the International Orphanage Development Programme to liaise with international aid organisations in Haiti to ensure relief gets to the thousands of earthquake affected orphans in Haiti. Donate to the Haiti Orphan Fund today.