URGENT ACTION APPEAL: Relief for the Beleaguered People of Haiti

For the people of Haiti, the hemisphere's poorest country, life was difficult enough before the massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated the capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday.

Since news of the earthquake came to light, IOCC staff have been contacting partners active in Haiti and attempting to reach Orthodox parishes on the island to coordinate our response to the growing need. Like many Haitians who have been struggling to reach their loved ones, IOCC is finding direct communication difficult - symptomatic of the widespread destruction and ruined infrastructure that is now beginning to be revealed.

Given the magnitude of the quake and the poverty that already existed before the disaster, IOCC has mobilized its disaster response team and is preparing to respond to the tremendous needs in close coordination with our Orthodox and ecumenical partners.

Please help the people of Haiti!

* Make an online gift to assist the victims of disasters around the world, like the Haiti Earthquake, by giving to the IOCC International Emergency Response Fund, at www.iocc.org.

* Assemble hygiene kits and emergency clean-up buckets to be shipped to places like Haiti - or wherever disasters strike. For information on hygiene kits, go to www.iocc.org/kits.

* Pray for the people of Haiti and those who have lost loved ones in this disaster and for the safety of those who are working to assist them. See: http://www.iocc.org/prayers