Google & Microsoft, the two big giants are trying to help the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Microsoft said it will donate $1.25 million, a combination of cash and in-kind donations, to Haiti earthquake relief. Just like during that flood that struck Manila, Google is once again mobilizing all its web resources to help in the disaster relief effort in Haiti.
Once again, the Internet community are exerting every efforts that they can to help alleviate the impact of the recent earthquake that devastated the small country of Haiti. Google, Microsoft and other IT companies are donating their money and skill sets to help Haiti in the wake of a massive earthquake that devastated the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince.
Microsoft, both as a company and as the sum of its people, is deeply involved in a variety of philanthropic efforts, and the software giant was one of the first organizations to react to the news of the earthquake in Haiti. Akhtar Badshah, senior director, Global Community Affairs, revealed that the Redmond company was ready to offer over $12.5 million in order to support the relief efforts in Haiti. At the same time, Badshah revealed that Microsoft supported NetHope’s focus on ensuring that the world’s top humanitarian relief organizations were ready to tackle crisis situations such as the one in Haiti.
“Microsoft is making an initial commitment of $1.25 million, which includes cash and in-kind contributions,” Badshah explained. However, Microsoft is doing so much more in addition to the $1.25 million donation. In this regard, the company has already activated the NetHope Emergency Working Group. It is the Group’s responsibility to make sure that basic telecommunications infrastructure is set up in order to allow relief agencies operating in affected areas to communicate.
Google has established the Google Crisis Response to Support the Disaster Relief in Haiti. On the site you’ll find useful information on how you can donate to International Organizations who are helping out the disaster relief effort in Haiti.
You can use the Google Checkout faciilty to course your donation for Haiti to either CARE or Unicef, or choose from any of the following sites to channel your donations.
- UNICEF (1-800-4UNICEF),
- Direct Relief,
- Yele Haiti,
- Partners in Health,
- Red Cross,
- World Food Program,
- Mercy Corps (1-888-256-1900),
- Save the Children,
- Lambi Fund,
- Doctors Without Borders,
- The International Rescue Committee, Care
You can also send your donations via SMS: (for US only):
- SMS text “HAITI” to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross relief efforts
- SMS text “YELE” to 501501 to Donate $5 to Yele Haiti’s Earthquake Relief efforts
And for information and real-time updates on what’s happening right now in Haiti, you can check out the following useful sites:
- Resource updates: Google News, YouTube, Real Time updates on Google Search
- Local media websites: TNH, Le Nouvelliste, Radio Metropole Haiti, Radio Galaxie, Radio Ginen
- US State Department: Americans seeking information can call 1-888-407-4747, Latest information
- Other resources: Haiti Situation Tracking Form (provided by Google), Ushahidi (online tracking tool), Le3900.com (Haitian business directory)
And if you want to get a glimpse of the how it looks right now in Haiti, Google has put up a satellite imagery of the country using Google Earth layers.
