Earth Herbal

Due to the large numbers of natural disasters in our world, and to assist the people who have suffered and are suffering from the aftermath of such natural disasters, I have gathered information on the relief/support effort in Haiti and other places, some of them in the US. To that end, I am beginning this page with a link to the Red Cross website, so that you can see them in action (videos), read the information they have on the efforts of the organization, and donate to the very immediate need of others.

While the whole world has watched, and looked on with mixed emotions, the Red Cross has been getting their hands (and faces) dirty rescuing people that were not expected to survive a natural disaster of this magnitude. The people of Haiti have suffered greatly, and have come out of this amazing, terrifying disaster, some with nothing left, others with no family, and yet others having lost not only everything they owned, but also all their family members as well. I can identify greatly with these people, having gone through a similar situation in my own “natural disaster” recently. I have come through this with all the grace I can muster, but when your entire lifestyle, your entire world literally crashes down upon you, you begin to wonder how you will survive in this strange newness. The disaster was caused by an earthquake deep in the earth’s crust, below Haiti, and very nearly destroyed the entire island. They are going to have to rebuild from what is left (not much), and somehow go on. This is not going to be easy for anyone, but the Red Cross is there to assist, to feed crying orphans, to provide safe haven for now-indigent people, and to provide the food, shelter, and medical care for those who were injured in this devastating disaster. Please, take the time, learn what you can do, provide the monetary assistance the Red Cross needs to continue with this relief effort.



The Red Cross is focusing on three areas – food, clean drinking water and other relief items such as hygiene kits, blankets, tarps, sleeping mats, tents and water containers. The relief items are helping more than 10,000 families (50,000 people) to date – with plans to increase this number. About 79 percent of the funds spent or committed by the American Red Cross have been for food and water; 18 percent have been for shelter; and the rest have been for health and family services.
* The American Red Cross and its partners are now producing almost 1 million litres of water per day, enough for 185,000 people to receive 5.4 litres per person per day.
* To date, the global Red Cross network has distributed nearly 4.2 million litres of water in 115 sites. In addition, Red Cross teams are working to scale up latrine construction as quickly as possible.
* Approximately 600 patients are being seen per day.
* As of January 29, more than 56 flights carrying Red Cross aid from around the world have arrived in Haiti.
* Shelter remains an urgent need. While the Red Cross works to provide a range of assistance, we are assessing needs and developing a strategy to meet long-term housing reconstruction needs.

The American Red Cross is currently focusing on three areas through its emergency responders and partners:
1. Sending food to those in need, including 3 million pre-packaged meals and funding for World Food Program efforts that will enable them to feed up to 1 million people for a month.
2. Providing clean drinking water, including 3.5 million liters distributed to date in 68 settlements. Each day, the Red Cross is distributing enough water for 100,000 people.
3. Distributing shelter items, such as blankets, tarps, sleeping mats and tents, to families who have been left homeless.

The Red Cross is also meeting the health needs of Haitian survivors and providing support to Haitian families in Haiti and the US. This includes providing relief supplies, shipment of blood products, family linking services and providing Red Cross volunteers to the USNS Comfort, which have been in Haiti for one week.
A new Red Cross warehouse with more than 50,000 square feet of capacity is also now operational in Port-au-Prince, which means that relief supplies have a safe place to be stored ahead of distribution.
Although the current focus is on addressing urgent needs, the American Red Cross is also looking ahead and applying experience gained after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. For the past five years, the American Red Cross has been working with partners in Southeast Asia to construct water and sanitation systems, provide emotional support and health care, build shelters, restore livelihoods and prepare communities for the next disaster. The American Red Cross plans to offer a similar level of support in close collaboration with Red Cross partners and other international and local aid organizations in Haiti.