Support Oxfam's relief efforts in Haiti

It's been a week since the magnitude-7.0 earthquake hit the nation of Haiti, and the scope of the tragedy keeps expanding. The Haitian government estimates that the death toll may be as high as 200,000, and has become so overwhelming that the dead are being buried in mass graves in violation of some of the most sacred Haitian traditions. Hospitals are overwhelmed to the point where, according to former President Bill Clinton, vodka is being used to sterilize and operations are being performed in the dark. Aid is reaching more people -- for example, the U.N.'s World Food Program delivered 200 metric tons of food to 95,000 people, compared to 30 metric tons delivered Sunday to 67,000 people -- but much more needs to be done.

Our allies at Oxfam are deeply involved in the relief effort, flying water, sanitation, health, and shelter equipment to Santo Domingo to be carried overland to the quake zone. Their focus is clean water: People can go ten days without food, but can only go three days without water. Since many of the water systems have broken down, Oxfam's work in Haiti is critical to the survival of hundreds of thousands of Haitians. Please make a donation to Oxfam's Haiti Earthquake Response Fund at www.oxfamamerica.org or text “OXFAM” to 25383 to make a $10 donation to Oxfam America today.

Cedric Perus, Oxfam's humanitarian coordinator in Port-au-Prince, reports a situations that is nothing short of heart-wrenching:

Our immediate priorities will be providing safe water and shelter material for the people who have lost their homes. Many people have lost their homes and were sleeping out in the open last night. There has been no rain yet, but there was rain earlier in the week and if it comes again it will make the situation much worse for all those made homeless by this quake. It is dangerous at night. Lootings were widespread and some markets were ransacked.

I have seen wounded people flooding into the hospitals and buildings of several stories high that are now totally flat. Several thousands have probably died in the quake, but it will it will take time to get a full picture. Bodies may stay under the rubble for a long time because it is difficult to access some sites and heavy lifting equipment is in limited supply.

There are bodies all over the city. People have nowhere to put them so they wrap them in sheets and cardboards in the hope that the authorities will pick them. People have also piled bodies in front of the city's main hospitals.

Please donate to Oxfam's Haiti Earthquake Response Fund at www.oxfamamerica.org or text “OXFAM” to 25383 to make a $10 donation to Oxfam America today. Your donation will go to a 1Sky ally that is doing a world of good in a middle of a desperate situation.