Helping Those in Need
The devastation in Haiti is the worst natural catastrophe since Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Thailand Tsunami in 2004, with early reports out of Haiti placing the possible death toll in the hundreds of thousands. With a multitude of options for providing financial assistance or volunteering to assist with the medical relief efforts, the LSMS has the following information for fellow physicians interested in participating in relief efforts. Please contact the LSMS via email at publicaffairs@lsms.org or 1.800.375.9508 if you have additional information or questions.
***CDC Guidance for Relief Workers and Others Traveling to Haiti for Earthquake Response (posted 1.15.2010)***
Resources
The American Red Cross encourages those interested in participating in relief efforts to make a financial contribution. Click here for donation information. The Red Cross is not accepting volunteers to travel to Haiti. If you would like to volunteer for the American Red Cross, please contact your local chapter.
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971. Today, MSF provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect or catastrophe. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need. MSF reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.
Many people have contacted MSF to inquire about volunteering to join MSF's response to the earthquake in Haiti. We sincerely appreciate this desire to help us assist the people who have been affected by the catastrophe. While we appreciate this generous response to the emergency, please understand that we cannot immediately send new volunteers to Haiti. MSF's ability to respond swiftly to emergencies like this one is rooted in our existing pool of MSF aid workers who have agreed to be available to work with us on short notice. These staff are selected to join our pool through an extensive application and screening process. We are always seeking applications from qualified professionals to join our pool of dedicated staff working in more than 60 countries. If you are a US citizen or US resident, and are interested in working with MSF - either in Haiti or other countries - we encourage you to visit the Work in the Field section of our website to learn more about our recruitment criteria and process, then follow the instructions to apply.
Includes links to UNICEF, Mercy Corps, Save the Children and CARE.
Recommended by LSMS Members
Convoy of Hope - Following major disasters, Convoy Go Teams work ‘on the ground’ to immediately assess damage, deliver supplies and remove debris in storm impacted towns. In addition, during non-response times, most teams are proactive in their local communities especially in the areas of training and preparedness. If you are interested in becoming part of a Go Team, please download and complete this Convoy Disaster Response Volunteer Application.
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) responds to natural or civil disasters that are interruptions of such magnitude that they overwhelm a community's ability to recover on its own. UMCOR's work on behalf of United Methodists is global and includes countries in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean. UMCOR serves in long-term disaster recovery in the US.
Children's Nutrition Program of Haiti (CNP) The Nutrition Program began in mid-1998 with the support of local individuals and churches in Chattanooga, Tennessee to address infant and child malnutrition in Leogane, Haiti. Malnutrition is responsible for about 60% of all child deaths in Haiti, and 42% of surviving children are permanently stunted and experience varying degrees of physical and mental impairment due to protein and vitamin deficiencies. The Nutrition Program is integrated into the community health structure of the district hospital in Leogane (population est. 150,000) and is committed to the survival and growth of children, the rehabilitation of malnourished children, and to the health of mothers. Currently over 35 Haitian women are employed by the Nutrition Program and are providing low-cost, sustainable programs for mothers and malnourished children in their own villages.
FUNDRAISER SCHEDULED (date TBD - late February)
LSU New Orleans - Tulane Medical School
A basketball tournament to benefit Haiti is being planned for late February. Proceeds will be given to The Red Thread Promise, www.redthreadpromise.org, to help with their local efforts in Haiti. For more information, please contact: Jennifer Avegno MD, Director of Undergraduate Education and Associate Residency Director at LSUHSC Section of Emergency Medicine, 1542 Tulane Avenue Room 452, Box T4 M2, New Orleans LA 70112. Email: javegn@lsuhsc.edu.
|
