The Crisis in Haiti

Dear ATS Members,

The earthquake in Haiti has created an extraordinary humanitarian crisis. As you know, even before this disaster, life in Haiti, the hemisphere’s poorest country, was very difficult for its residents.  The earthquake has made the situation much, much worse, and unfortunately, it has leveled many of the healthcare facilities and other public buildings that are desperately needed to respond to this disaster.

As a Society, the ATS wants to help in some way rebuild the healthcare infrastructure of the country.  At this point, it is not entirely clear how we can best help, but I want you to know that the Society’s officers have been discussing the issue and in the coming weeks will consult with sister societies, government agencies, and others who can help us determine how we might contribute to the international effort to help the Haitian people.

In the meantime, we believe that supporting the efforts of established humanitarian relief agencies is the best way to help the people of Haiti immediately. 

InterAction, based in Washington, D.C., is the largest coalition of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused on the world’s poor and most vulnerable people. They have compiled a list of more than 60 organizations with relief efforts underway in Haiti and a description of those efforts that may help you decide where to donate your money: http://www.interaction.org/crisis-list/earthquake-haiti

On behalf of the officers, I encourage you to donate to any one of these organizations.  This is the fastest way to make a life-saving difference today.

Sincerely,

J. Randall Curtis, M.D., M.P.H.
President