Congresswoman Matsui Statement on Disaster in Haiti
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, January 14, 2010
CONTACT: MARA LEE
(202) 225-7163
Today, Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-CA) released the following statement on the recent earthquake in Haiti and the on-going humanitarian aid effort:
My thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people, the Haitian-American community, and all those around the world who have been affected. As the days and weeks forward bring recovery to the people of Haiti, there will be much to accomplish in rebuilding the infrastructure that was lost. Brave men and women from the Sacramento area are already on their way to help the Haitians with immediate rescue efforts and relief needs, and for those who are able, please do what you can to support relief efforts.
Tuesday's disaster left many families and friends missing vital details on the health of their loved ones. Rep. Matsui encourages her constituents to contact her Sacramento office at (916) 498-5600, so that she can help locate loved ones or provide further information.
U.S. citizens may also contact the U.S. Embassy via email to request assistance. People in the U.S. with information or inquiries about U.S. citizens in Haiti may reach the Haiti Task Force at 1 (888) 407-4747 or by clicking here. U.S. citizens in Haiti can call the Embassy's Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672. For further information and updates, please see the State Department's Consular Affairs website: www.travel.state.gov/
For information on how to personally contribute to or volunteer in relief efforts, please visit InterAction's website for a regularly updated list of agencies responding to the crisis and accepting donations: http://www.interaction.org/crisis-list/earthquake-haiti. Those eager to help can also donate by text messaging HAITI to 20222 to donate $10 to United Nations relief efforts. The donation will be posted to your cell phone bill.
Looking For Relatives
Families of Americans living in Haiti who are trying to find the status of their loved ones are encouraged to contact the State Department at 1-888-407-4747. This line is experiencing a high volume of calls at this time, so some callers may receive a recording. To better handle these requests, the State Department has established an e-mail address as well: Haiti-Earthquake@state.gov.
A top priority of the State Department is accounting for the thousands of American citizens who are currently in Haiti. US citizens in Haiti have been urged to contact the Embassy via email at ACSPaP@state.gov to request assistance or call the Embassy's Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672.
The Red Cross has also set up a Family Links website managed by the ICRC, in cooperation with the tracing services of the Haitian Red Cross Society and of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies throughout the world, to assist in the process of restoring contact between separated family members:
More Resources
Assistance for Haiti Relief Efforts
The State Department has established a dedicated web page that offers advice for anyone wishing to provide assistance to those affected by the earthquake:
The Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) provides information and guidance in support of appropriate international disaster relief:
Haitian Earthquake Relief Fraud Alert
The FBI has issued a fraud alert, reminding Internet users who receive appeals to donate money in the aftermath of Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before responding to those requests. Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization and/or a good cause. Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following:
- Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages.
- Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
- Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group's existence and its nonprofit status rather than following a purported link to the site.
- Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
- Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes.
- Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.
Anyone who has received an e-mail referencing the above information or anyone who may have been a victim of this or a similar incident should notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.