Haiti earthquake 2021: Where to donate

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Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Haiti was hit by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake last weekend that destroyed homes and buildings, killed more than 1,400 people and injured more than 6,000. This earthquake was more powerful than the 2010 earthquake that devastated the country. It also comes just a month after the political turmoil that followed the assassination of President Jovenel Moss. Rescue and recovery efforts were further hampered by Tropical Storm Grace, which inundated the country with torrential rains.

If you want to help Haiti now, first think about where you’re donating. People should look to the organizations you work with locally. What are their relationships and history with the local community and local grassroots institutions? And maybe if you can’t figure it out, maybe if they don’t talk about their relationships with local communities, that’s a sign that this isn’t something they prioritize,” explains anthropologist Laura Wagner, who previously worked as an archivist at Duke University Radio Archive in Haiti.

That’s a view endorsed by Jonathan Lamarie, chief program officer at Mercy Beyond Borders, who also advised looking for organizations that help affected areas with food, water and shelter. Look for local organizations that have “a long-term presence in affected areas and who already have the communications, infrastructure, etc. to use this money effectively,” Wagner explains. This is especially important because the 2010 earthquake left many with a “real and justified sense that large organizations are working to help themselves, not the people whose photos and stories are used to raise money,” Wagner adds.

That’s why there has been some controversy about donating to the American Red Cross. A 2015 report from NPR and ProPublica found poorly managed nonprofit aid donated after the 2010 earthquake. Ashley Yates says, “People caution against donating to the Red Cross to support Haiti because, quite simply, the Red Cross squandered more than half a billion dollars in aid earmarked for Haiti and we’re not willing to watch them do it again,” Transplant Justice Media Director. “Most people want their donations to have a real impact, to support the people they have in mind when they donate.”

Similar to our previous lists of where to donate amid the COVID-19 crisis in India, organizations that give back to Asian communities, and how to support lives of black people and communities of color, we’ve compiled a list of organizations you can donate to help earthquake relief in Haiti, including recommendations from Wagner, LaMare, and Yates. Of course, this guide is by no means complete, so we’ll keep it updated.

UNICEF works with its partners in Haiti to help children and families in need. The organization says it has sent more than 30,000 medical kits with more health, water and sanitation supplies on the way.

Wagner recommends Partners Health because it “has been around for a long time and has deep roots in Haiti.” She praises the organization for its ability to “mobilize quickly and effectively,” including in response to the 2010 earthquake. “They are working with Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health, rather than trying to get around them,” Wagner stresses. Yates also recommends Partners in Health.

Health Equity International helps run St. Boniface Hospital, a “full-service hospital” “located an hour or so from the epicenter,” according to Lamarie. The organization says it is using the donations to keep the hospital operating at full capacity to help care for earthquake survivors and COVID-19 patients. Wagner also mentions Saint Boniface as a “hospital which operates mostly in the hive and serves the areas devastated by the earthquake”.

Hope Haiti works to reduce poverty in the country, focusing on education, health care, and economic opportunities to aid its mission. With the donations, the organization hopes to support relief efforts in the short and long term, including providing medical supplies and distributing home water purification systems.

LaMare recommends Mission of Hope International because it has been in Haiti for decades – it was “essential to the recovery and relief efforts in 2010”. LaMare notes that the organization is already on the scene and is located less than 50 miles east of the epicenter.

The best help is direct assistance. So look for organizations based in Haiti first, and then spread out from there, says Yates. That’s why Yates recommends SOIL, which she describes as “a local organization with a proven track record of support after natural disasters.” SOIL has set up its own relief fund for emergency response efforts – and plans to work in partnership with other local organizations. “A lot of people looked at them after this tragedy, and while they are not in the affected area, they responded to the call with a fund to support local leaders in the hardest-hit area,” Yates told us.

Organized Community Relief Efforts, or CORE for short, is a crisis response organization that helps disadvantaged communities around the world. CORE says it is currently helping in Haiti with debris removal and emergency medical assistance while providing food, water and shelter.

The Connecticut-based foundation says it helps assess damage to homes and transport seriously injured people. When you donate, you can specifically say that you want the money to go to earthquake relief in the dropdown list.

The nonprofit is working to provide meals, hygiene kits and shelter supplies like solar lanterns and blankets for those affected by the earthquake — especially as the organization says a tropical storm is approaching the country.

Yates notes that MSF is one of the most well-known organizations you can donate to. Also known as Doctors Without Borders in French. Teams from the organization are already running Medicare and plan to send more medical equipment to care for the injured.

Although Fonkoze does not have an earthquake emergency fund, the organization has been around for more than two decades. Its mission is to help provide more financial opportunities and development services to the poorest people in Haiti. Most of the organizations’ branches are located in rural areas of the country. Your donation can help achieve the organization’s goal of “breaking the cycle of poverty” in the long run.

Founded by celebrity chef Jose Andrés, World Central Kitchen creates a space to serve fresh meals on the floor. Yates calls the organization “well positioned” and “with a proven track record.”

CARE works for social justice, poverty eradication, and the fight for women and girls around the world. CARE’s Humanitarian Surge Fund is designed to help the rapid response team provide shelter, health services and hygiene supplies. Donations will also be matched. CARE is also matching donations to emergency aid to Afghanistan.

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