Los Angeles, Jan 24, 2010
J.Bains/Gary Singh
On Jan. 12, Haiti was struck 7.0-magnitude earthquake, killing at least 150,000 and leaving millions homeless. Dispatching 13,000 troops to the island, the U.S. has coordinated an international relief effort topping $1 billion in donations.
For its part, the U.S. has already sent nearly $184 million in aid to Haiti since the quake struck, according to the latest U.N. estimates.
Khalsa Care Foundation gave $11000 for Haiti to Red Cross. With the help of two American Red Cross Volunteers, Jennifer and Adrianne [last names], Harnoor Walia organized a fundraiser to raise money for the relief in Haiti as the extensive damage could take decades to repair.
The Sikh Community of Los Angeles, in the spirit of Sikhi, joined together to contribute donations to make a difference in the lives of the people of Haiti and to directly help the victims in their time of need.
Sukhi Sandhu and Gurdip Singh Malik made an open request to the community-at-large for healing and support for the victims. Now we can support those families by praying for them and their loved ones, and by supporting the best efforts to give assistance to their families.
More than 430 Red Cross and Red Crescent workers from around the world are in Haiti supporting thousands of local volunteers. Of that, more than 100 are representing the American Red Cross.
So far, more than 38 flights carrying Red Cross aid have arrived in Haiti. Additional planes, ships and trucks carrying Red Cross humanitarian assistance are expected every day.
Major U.S. cell phone carriers said they will speed up the delivery of funds donated to the Red Cross' Haiti relief effort via text message. As the Herald reports: "The $27 million given through texts eclipses the amount of donations via text raised for Hurricane Katrina victims: less than $500,000."
Taxpayers will be able to write off charitable donations to Haiti earthquake relief efforts when they file their 2009 taxes this spring under a bill President Barack Obama signed Friday. Under current law, donors would have to wait until they file their 2010 returns next year to take the deductions. The bill would allow donations made by the end of February to be deducted from 2009 returns.
As of January 21, 2010, almost $507 million has been donated by countries:
- USA leads the way among developed nations donated $184.5 million
- British donations for Haiti reach 'generous' 46 million pounds and France $16.8 million donated
- Last Friday’s “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon, broadcast in the United States and internationally, raised $61 million, which will be split evenly among seven charities
- Australia ($13.4 million)
- Japan and China have donated $5.3 million and $4.4 million, respectively
- Germany has donated more than $6 million
- Italy has donated over $9 million, and like the U.S., has sent in recovery teams to help manage the living and recover the dead.
- India, which has one of the world's largest gross domestic products, has donated $1 million
- Czech Republic has donated $1.1 million, Botswana $1.1 million and Senegal $1 million.
Another $1 billion-plus has been pledged from other nations. The European Union has also pledged an additional $400 million-plus.
The donations have been matched or topped by individuals like Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which donated more than $25 million, and the European Commission, which added nearly $6 million to the relief effort. OTHER organizations and individuals have contributed more than $110 million AND another $146 million pledged.
