Jamaican Diaspora United States providing information on Haiti Earthquake Relief and Recovery
MIAMI – The Jamaican Diaspora United States has issued a joint statement regarding the Haiti Earthquake Relief and Recovery:
On behalf of the many Jamaicans and persons of Jamaican descent residing throughout the United States, we would like to express our profound sorrow and hope for recovery to the people of Haiti and their Diaspora.
Our community is gathering official information from federal, state, local, and international sources and government officials on the assessment of the tragic aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. Given our experience with dealing with disaster rescue and recovery in the Caribbean, it is incumbent upon us to be part of the coordinated and efficient international relief effort.
Most importantly, we would like to encourage all community leaders and citizens in our respective regions to organize their own database of contacts for mobilization and to catalog all offers of donations offered, whether human or in-kind. All organizations are encouraged to restrain from uncoordinated collection of items without the direction of a logistics and transportation plan for these items. At the present time, we have been advised that financial funds are the most important need in support of all relief efforts, for example:
American Red Cross
PO Box 37243
Washington, DC 20013
Memo: AP 2885 Haiti Relief and Development.
By phone at 1-800-REDCROSS
By internet at www.redcross.org
By texting “HAITI” to 90999 on your cell phone
In addition, the following key governmental agencies and organizations, among others, are mobilizing rapidly with up-to-date information being posted at their websites on avenues to donate and relief coordination:
The White House: www.whitehouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake
Center for International Disaster Information
www.cidi.org
UNICEF: www.unicefusa.org/haitiquake
The American Red Cross: www.redcross.org
FAVACA: www.favaca.org
Pan American Development Foundation: www.panamericanrelief.org
Operation Helping Hands: www.unitedwaymiami.org/
Food for the Poor: www.foodforthepoor.org
Catholic Relief Services: www.crs.org
Doctors Without Borders: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org
World Vision: www.worldvision.org
The Salvation Army: www.salvationarmyusa.org
We will be in touch with these organizations, as well as with USAID and other government agencies, and will provide updates accordingly.
Most critically, until relief agencies and government officials on the ground can assess exactly what kind of relief is needed, we encourage all organizations to hold off on the collection of food, clothing, and other supplies. Due to the enormous logistic challenges, we must streamline our efforts locally and internationally. Please focus on humanitarian financial donations for the moment.
Given Jamaica’s neighboring location to Haiti, we are also cognizant that some of you may have family and friends in Haiti. For updates on family, please contact the Department of State at 888-407-4747. Please note that President Barack Obama has designated the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Dr. Rajiv Shah, as the unified disaster coordinator for his Administration.
For purposes of general communication or inquiries for further updates with the Jamaican Diaspora United States, please note the following key contacts and/or references:
Embassy of Jamaica
Ambassador, Anthony Johnson
(202) 452-0660
www.embassyofjamaica.org
Consul General of Jamaica, New York
Consul General, Geneive Brown-Metzger
Tel: (212) 935-9000
www.congenjamaica-ny.org
Consul General of Jamaica, Miami
Consul General, Sandra Grant-Griffiths
305-374-8431, Ext. 223, 232
www.jamaicacgmiami.org
Embassy of Haiti
Ambassador, Mr. Raymond Joseph
202-332-4090
www.haiti.org
Consulate of Haiti, New York
Consul General, Mr. Felix Augustin
212-697-9767
[email protected]
Consulate of Haiti, Miami,
Consul General, Mr. Ralph LaTortue
Tel: (305) 859-2003-4
Email: [email protected]
Jamaican Diaspora United States
Advisory Board
www.jamaicadiaspora.org
Northeast United States
Patrick Beckford
732-801-6747
[email protected]
Midwest/West United States
Wayland Richards
[email protected]
Southern United States
Marlon A. Hill, Esq.
786-349-2584
[email protected]
Tweets by CaribConnect
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marlonhill
In the interim, we also ask that you pray for our neighboring families in the Haitian Diaspora as they cope with this tragedy of epic proportions. We look forward to working with all organizations in the Jamaican and Caribbean diaspora and other communities of goodwill in ensuring an efficient and coordinated effort to provide relief and support to both Haiti and its Diaspora.
