ACTION ALERT: Rescue Efforts in Haiti
Maggie Funkhouser
7.0 on the Richter Scale struck Haiti this past Tuesday, causing
massive damage to the area. Haiti’s already poor infrastructure is
making rescue efforts almost impossible. The airport is damaged, the
seaport is damaged, and roads are destroyed, making transporting
supplies very difficult. Unfortunately, with humanitarian efforts
struggling to arrive, it will be weeks until aid arrives for the
animal victims.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has the following
information posted today: "AVMA is closely monitoring the early
response in Haiti to determine if and how we and others involved in
animal welfare and health may assist in the Haiti response and
recovery efforts. As always with disasters like this, the humanitarian
rescue efforts will be the focus in Haiti for the first week or so.
However, veterinarians are on standby to assist with the tragedy." It
adds, "Once the immediate human needs have been met, the AVMA is ready
to address the animal issues in any way we can."
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is on alert, noting
that “humanitarian efforts need to be well underway before animal
rescue efforts can begin in earnest." Together, IFAW and the World
Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) will be working on the
ground to help the animals in Haiti. They have developed the Animal
Relief Coalition for Haiti (ARCH) to assist in the response efforts.
Their teams will be working out of a mobile clinic which has been
donated to them by the Antigua and Barbuda Humane Society. WSPA and
IFAW have pledged funds to fully outfit this mobile clinic, and it
will be shipped from Antigua to our member society, Sociedad
Dominicana Para la Protección de Animales (SODOPRECA), in the
Dominican Republic for them to drive across the border into Haiti.
Again, once human relief has taken hold in Haiti, then teams such as
IFAW and WSPA will be able to aid the suffering of the country’s
animals. Fermathe, Haiti, is home to a zoo that housed monkeys,
snakes, alligators, and exotic birds. Haiti is also home to several
endangered animals, according to the organization Animal Info. These
include the critically endangered Puerto Rican Hutia, the endangered
Haitian Solenodon, and the "vulnerable" manatee and Hispaniolan Hutia.
As for humanitarian aid, international individual financial donations
are totaling in the millions. Many are choosing to donate via text
message: Texting the word "Haiti" to 90999 sends a $10 donation to the
Red Cross. Those $10 donations are adding up. As of Friday morning,
more than $8 million dollars had been contributed to the Red Cross via
text-messaging alone. Reuters reports that the U.S. texting donations
have made for "an unprecedented mobile response to a natural
disaster." Of course, you can also donate via the Web.
The Red Cross isn't the only organization to receive generous
contributions. Yele Haiti, a grassroots organization started by rapper
and Haiti native Wyclef Jean, is also accepting donations via text
message. Texting "Yele" to 501501 makes a $5 contribution. Wyclef has
also traveled to Haiti, where he is personally helping with rescue
efforts.
As we learn more information about the relief efforts in Haiti, we
will update you. For now, please keep Haiti’s people and its animals
in your mind and donate what you can. Every little bit helps!
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