14 January 2010

The Haiti tragedy: How you can help

Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz

Numerous members of the TED community have sought to find a way to help victims of the Haiti quake. We believe one of the organizations best placed to make an immediate difference is Partners in Health. They have operated medical facilities in Haiti for more than two decades and have numerous people on the ground. (We had the honor of working with them as part of President Clinton’s TED Prize wish. They’re trustable and effective.)

We asked how best the TED community could help and this was their response. Do join us in making a donation here.

Help us track down helicopters! That’s our #1 need right now is transport. There are thousands of badly injured ppl in Port-au-Prince, and there are PIH hospitals, supplies and teams standing ready to treat them in the central plateau. It’s a long, difficult drive over uncertain roads — OR a
10-min helo ride.
Satellite phones! Cell communications are mostly down and we can’t send docs out into PAP with no way to be in touch
Donate medicine, food, blankets, supplies … anyone with in-kind products to donate can write to procurement@pih.org
Lend your time and skills — we need experienced trauma surgeons, pediatric trauma surgeons, burn specialists, nurse anesthetists, trauma nurses
We need solar chargers, generators, fuel for generators
Water purification that does not require electricity — so massive quanitities of water purification tablets or a system that is standalone
Transport — we have had a few offers of private planes plus a big Air Canada jet — we are filling them with doctors and supplies and mobilizing
Donate at http://www.pih.org/home.html.

– Chris Anderson, TED Curator

Discuss this Blog Post

Giri Senji
Jan 14 2010
I have used cellphones in good working condition. Is there a way I can donate them for this cause?
christian toebe
Jan 14 2010
Is there any way to go help on the ground with out being a medical professional?
Alanna Shaikh
Jan 14 2010
By all accounts, the situation in Haiti is so dangerous that volunteers aren’t useful unless they have disaster relief training.
Monte Stettin
Jan 14 2010
Jacqueline Monash and I have relatives on the ground some unfortunately have been trapped in buildings and have died. There is chaos and it will get worse before it gets better. Medicine, water, clothing, communications devices, solar all are needed.
The airport and airways are clogged. Michael Pritchard has taken a great initiative with Lifesaver. Go to Lifesaverusa.com and check out their rescue efforts with their miraculous water purification products. They have infrastructure on the ground through Operation Blessing, you can follow the dots to make a donation, just make sure you specify lifesaver project when you choose the project on OB’s site which links through lifesaver. If you doubt what this is about, just watch Michael Pritchard’s video and then please help. They are trying to get 15K USD to ship 800 units which will be shipped free by Tedster Branson’s airline from the factory in England. They will need another 1 million USD to make something bigger happen. Please help
Matt Vandergriff
Jan 15 2010
Big Frog Mountain Corporation is a solar wholesaler based in Chattanooga, TN and has been providing solar contracting work & support in Haiti for many years now. We have a contracting company already set up in Haiti and will be there setting up solar & other alternative energy power systems throughout the Haitian region within the next week. If there is anything we can do to help, please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone- (423)-265-0307 or by email- Sales@BigFrogMountain.com
Rodrigo Ferraz
Jan 15 2010
In addition to the link of the Partners in Health above ( http://www.pih.org/home.html ) to those willing to donate, brazilian citizens and companies have some other ways, according to the UOL website, in the following link.
http://noticias.uol.com.br/especiais/terremoto-haiti/ultnot/2010/01/14/ult9967u5.jhtm

Let’s all do what we can.
Xbox mania
Jan 15 2010
I have spread the word on my blog to help the people and if there is organization that’s doing this near my place then I will definitely donate!
Hani Hong
Jan 16 2010
If you haven’t already, read the book “Mountains Beyond Mountains” by Pulitzer prize winner Tracy Kidder. Amazing story of Dr. Paul Farmer, and his founding of Partners in Health. It’s a remarkable organization.
Rei Ayanami
Jan 17 2010
In times like this, wouldn’t Michael Pritchard’s water filter come in handy?
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/michael_pritchard_invents_a_water_filter.html
- Nicholas Hankins
  Feb 2 2010
  Exactly! Or Dean Kamen’s water purification system http://www.allwaterpurification.com/dean-kamen-water-purifier.html
steve bruce
Jan 18 2010
It’s reassuring to see that aid is at last getting through.
bridget tomlinson
Jan 18 2010
pih has a hospital in cange, haiti, they need blood there
Andy Scott
Jan 24 2010
Haiti%u2019s people are now homeless. They need help. So we should help their. At first rich countries come forward take a committee to discuss that what will be best policy for help Haiti%u2019s people. And make a fund. Every country should come forward to help this committee of rich countries. And the committee will provide do everything from the fund for spent Haiti%u2019s people. Thanks.
watch heroes online
Sean Turvey
Jan 25 2010
There will be a need for short – long term shelter. I would like to suggest Concrete Canvas. It is rapidly deployable, takes less than 24 hours to complete, clean, sturdy and deployment can be taught quickly to those with little skill. The building is usable for up to 10 years.

http://www.concretecanvas.co.uk/21AboutCCS1.html
Alison Lewis
Jan 30 2010
Great ideas, thank you!

Chris, I’ve forwarded this onto my friend who is a helicopter pilot. Please contact me if you want his direct number. a{at}iheartswitch{dot}com
Al Meyers
Feb 3 2010
Waterbrick would be a great way to support Haiti! Their innovative buik-water storage solution was unveiled at TEDxPeachtree on 12/4/09. Go to http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/haiti-emergency-water-relief/

The talk by their founder, Wendell Adams, can be found on the TEDx channel on You Tube.
Astell Collins
Feb 18 2010
Where is the love?
After so many years
And way too many tears
Why is poverty
Still a reality
And even in the 21st Century
Hunger plagues both babies and the elderly
Who is responsible, who will take the blame
And will they have the capacity to remove this stain
Could it be political ambitions?
Or is it the globalist manipulations
When will enough be enough?
And why are their lives so rough?
They have suffered for years without anyone making a fuss
So who can they really trust?
They ate mud cookies to survive
Yet no one bothered to assist them in their fight to stay alive
Why werent their cries heard?
And should tragedy always evoke the love of the world?
Why cant we love from where we are with what we have?
Sharing the little we have

We are the light of the world positioned to make it better
Just a little consideration can take your brother from the gutter
Hopelessness and despair was what they were fed
And the impulse to survive was how they were led
Astell Collins
Feb 18 2010
Where is the love?
After so many years
And way too many tears
Why is poverty
Still a reality
And even in the 21st Century
Hunger plagues both babies and the elderly
Who is responsible, who will take the blame
And will they have the capacity to remove this stain
Could it be political ambitions?
Or is it the globalist manipulations
When will enough be enough?
And why are their lives so rough?
They have suffered for years without anyone making a fuss
So who can they really trust?
They ate mud cookies to survive
Yet no one bothered to assist them in their fight to stay alive
Why werent their cries heard?
And should tragedy always evoke the love of the world?
Why cant we love from where we are with what we have?
Sharing the little we have

We are the light of the world positioned to make it better
Just a little consideration can take your brother from the gutter
Hopelessness and despair was what they were fed
And the impulse to survive was how they were led
Astell Collins
Feb 18 2010
Where is the love?
After so many years
And way too many tears
Why is poverty
Still a reality
And even in the 21st Century
Hunger plagues both babies and the elderly
Who is responsible, who will take the blame
And will they have the capacity to remove this stain
Could it be political ambitions?
Or is it the globalist manipulations
When will enough be enough?
And why are their lives so rough?
They have suffered for years without anyone making a fuss
So who can they really trust?
They ate mud cookies to survive
Yet no one bothered to assist them in their fight to stay alive
Why werent their cries heard?
And should tragedy always evoke the love of the world?
Why cant we love from where we are with what we have?
Sharing the little we have

We are the light of the world positioned to make it better
Just a little consideration can take your brother from the gutter
Hopelessness and despair was what they were fed
And the impulse to survive was how they were led
Astell Collins
Feb 18 2010
Where is the love?
After so many years
And way too many tears
Why is poverty
Still a reality
And even in the 21st Century
Hunger plagues both babies and the elderly
Who is responsible, who will take the blame
And will they have the capacity to remove this stain
Could it be political ambitions?
Or is it the globalist manipulations
When will enough be enough?
And why are their lives so rough?
They have suffered for years without anyone making a fuss
So who can they really trust?
They ate mud cookies to survive
Yet no one bothered to assist them in their fight to stay alive
Why werent their cries heard?
And should tragedy always evoke the love of the world?
Why cant we love from where we are with what we have?
Sharing the little we have

We are the light of the world positioned to make it better
Just a little consideration can take your brother from the gutter
Hopelessness and despair was what they were fed
And the impulse to survive was how they were led