Help for Haiti: Supporting grassroots organizations after a disaster is crucial

As we learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, not all aid is equal. Haiti’s January 12th earthquake has left thousands dead. Many more need urgent medical attention.

Supporting grassroots organizations in a time of crisis is of paramount importance. Once the crisis is over and immediate needs have been served, the country will be even more vulnerable that it was to begin with. With the most open economy in the Western Hemisphere, chronic political instability, and some of the worst effects of the 2008 food crisis support for local organizations is needed more than ever.

Stephen Bartlett of the international relief group Agricultural Missions notes “Our experience in places like Sri Lanka after the tsunami disaster has shown how critical it is to reinforce capacity among grassroots organizations. These groups are able not only to provide the most effective and strategic material help in impacted communities, including restoring peoples' livelihoods, but can also support and organize advocacy efforts on behalf of the most vulnerable people when governmental and corporate players seek to take advantage of the situation. This predatory aftermath has been witnessed following disasters from Mitch to Katrina and beyond, and there is little reason to believe Haiti will be different.”

With many Haitians already malnourished prior to this devastating earthquake, food is urgently needed. Farmers in other parts of Haiti are growing food that can be purchased and distributed in and around Port-au-Prince. Organizations like Grassroots International and Haiti Action can help make such people to people exchanges possible.

To donate to grassroots rebuilding efforts, Food First recommends Grassroots International, Haiti Action and for longer-term work, Agricultural Missions. For urgent medical needs, Partners in Health and Doctors without Borders are the largest in country health providers left standing after the quake, and have impeccable records.

Partners in Health

Founded by Dr. Paul Farmer, this nonprofit health delivery program has served Haiti’s poor since 1987. To donate for earthquake relief, go to

https://donate.pih.org/page/contribute/haiti_earthquake?source=earthquak...

In an urgent email from Port-au-Prince, Louise Ivers, Partners in Health clinical director in Haiti, appealed for assistance from her colleagues in the Central Plateau: "Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. SOS... Temporary field hospital by us at UNDP needs supplies, pain meds, bandages. Please help us."

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Doctors Without Borders was working in Haiti prior to the quake with a staff of 800. Here is a report on January 13, 2009 with a link to their donation page.

http://doctorswithoutborders.org/news/article.cfm?id=4148&cat=field-news

Haiti Action

Haiti's grassroots movement – including labor unions, women’s groups, educators, human rights activists, support committees for prisoners and agricultural cooperatives – will attempt to funnel needed aid to those most hit by the earthquake. Grassroots organizers are doing what they can with the most limited of funds to make a difference. Please take this opportunity to lend them your support.

http://www.haitiaction.net/About/HERF/1_12_10.html

Grassroots International

Long time Food First partner Grassroots International has a long history of working with organizations on the ground in Haiti. Grassroots has committed to the extent possible to, “provide cash to our partners to make local purchases of the items they most need and to obtain food from farmers not hit by the disaster.”

http://www.grassrootsonline.org/news/blog/all-hands-responding-haiti-eme...

Agricultural Missions

Agricultural Missions is an 80 year old ecumenical organization with long term partnerships at the grassroots level in Haiti, who stand at ready to funnel resources to long term grassroots agricultural development. Donations can be sent as checks made out to Agricultural Missions,Inc (AMI) with 'Haiti recovery' written in the memo line, to Agricultural Missions, 475 Riverside Drive, Rm 725, New York, NY 10115.

To donate go to: https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=xe09hcmS1naLW...