More than 235,000 people have left Port-au-Prince using the free transportation provided by the Government. The largest influx, some 62,000 people, is in Artibonite department.

As many as 1 million people — one person in nine across the entire country — need to find new shelter, the United Nations estimates, and there are too few tents, let alone safe buildings, to put them in.

Ready-to-eat meals are needed for the short term to cover food needs.

There are now more than 500 relief organisations working to help those affected by the earthquake and the number is rising.

Water continues to be distributed daily at 115 sites in Port-au-Prince reaching an estimated 235,000 people, according to the WASH cluster. An assessment of 15 makeshift sites found that 14 sites had water and only one did not. The cluster plans to increase water distribution to reach 500,000 people daily with water,sanitation and hygiene facilities and services.

• Partnership with Pure Water Haiti under development to serve 70,000 people in Cite Soleil with water tankering, hygiene kit distribution and hygiene promotion
• The number of people living in temporary shelter sites in Port-au-Prince could be as high as 800,000, according to the Shelter Cluster.
• Water continues to be distributed daily at 115 sites in Port-au-Prince reaching an estimated 235,000 people.
• The number of injured people that need surgical interventions is diminishing, according to WHO/PAHO.
• Traffic congestion is major issue in Port-au-Prince, especially in the area of the airport.

Pure Water for the World, in partnership with local organizations, brings hygiene education and clean water to schools, clinics and orphanages, particularly in areas with little infrastructure and access to clean water. Its simple bio-sand filters, which do not require electricity and have no moving parts, can remove worms, parasites and nearly all bacteria and
toxins. A recent Partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development in Cité Soleil, a shanty town in Port-au-Prince, provided filters to 250 schools.

Pure Water for the World teamed up with FilterPure a year ago to distribute its ceramic water filter in Haiti. Like the bio-sand filter, the ceramic filter is simple, does not require electricity and has been shown to be highly effective against contaminates and bacteria. The ceramic filter is smaller and more portable, making it particularly valuable in the current crisis.

The FilterPure filter weighs about 8 pounds and is the size of a 5 gallon utility bucket. Contaminated water is poured into the ceramic insert, which purifies the water for drinking as it seeps through the insert into the plastic container. The flow rate ranges from 1 to 3 liters per hour.

Pure Water for the World’s bio-sand filter factory suffered some damage from the earthquake, but repairs are underway so that bio-sand filter production can be resumed and capacity added to manufacture the ceramic FilterPure filters.

Pure Water for the World and FilterPure know that a long period of recovery and rebuilding will follow the current crisis and are committed to a long-term presence in Haiti. Both the bio-sand and ceramic filters will be critical for households and institutions in the period before any adequate public water system can be built to serve the people in areas affected by the earthquake.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill that would allow taxpayers to claim a charitable deduction on their 2009 tax returns for donations made to the Haiti earthquake relief effort.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill that would allow taxpayers to claim a charitable deduction on their 2009 tax returns for donations made to the Haiti earthquake relief effort.

The change is similar to one Congress enacted in early 2005 for donations to the victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami that occurred in the last week of 2004. The Senate introduced a related bill Wednesday for Haiti contributions.

“We all witnessed the horrendous event that took place in our hemisphere last week and have united in a bipartisan way to do what we can to ease the pain of those who are suffering in Haiti,” Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement.

The bill would allow anyone who donates to the Haiti relief effort to deduct the contribution on their 2009 return as opposed to waiting until next year to deduct on their 2010 return. It includes a provision to allow anyone who sent a donation via text message to use their phone bill as proof.

In Haiti the capital and business center, the devastation in Port-au-Prince has crippled commerce in the whole country. Just think of living with no banks, no banking records, no electronic banking systems, no money in circulation, no shops through which money can flow, no access to local currency, dollars not accepted on the streets, no way for salaries to be paid, no way for companies to access their finances.  Imagine having no money for essential goods and service for yourself and your family.  In  a country where the majority of the people live on less than $2.00 a day, most people had no reserves and of course, now have no money available to them.

Doing some research, we at Pure Water for the World found that some financial institutions are scheduled to reopen tomorrow (Thursday, January 21st).  See the following from the Miami Herald

The Miami Herald Wednesday, 01.20.10

Flow of cash in Haiti getting up to speed

BY MARTHA BRANNIGAN AND FRANCES ROBLES

A rupture in the flow of cash to Haiti should begin to ease as the quake-ravaged country plans to reopen its banks Thursday after a nine-day shutdown. Haiti scrambled Tuesday to get its fragile banking system up and running, a pivotal step in restoring life to the earthquake-battered nation.

Haiti’s central bank told its commercial banks, which have remained closed since the Jan. 12 earthquake, to reopen Thursday. “People in diaspora should not have any problems sending money to family,” said Charles Castel, head of the central bank.

Meanwhile, money transfer services, which play a critical role in sending cash to Haitians from family members abroad, began resuming operations amid damaged facilities, limited communications, and a shortage of cash.

To help, some firms, such as Western Union and Unitransfer, are temporarily offering fee-free money transfers. As Haiti looks to stabilize, cash and a functioning banking and payments system will become increasingly crucial, banking experts say.

A World Bank official told The Miami Herald that experts inside and outside of the bank planned to hold a conference call Wednesday to evaluate the status of Haiti’s financial system and to discuss ways to inject life into the remittances and payments system.

Amiceau Almira, who used to work at Western Union, sat outside a damaged center in Petionville Tuesday, his pockets empty, telling folks that the shop was still closed. He said the agency is open in Saint-Marc, Gonaive and Cap Haitien, and expected to open more locations in the capital on Thursday or Friday.

“Currently, we’re working with our agents and local offices in Haiti to help restore service. We are operating on a partial basis,” said Daniel Diaz, a Western Union spokesman. “Where we have open locations, they are operating. The only variable factor is the availability of currency.”

Haitians rely heavily on remittances from friends and family members overseas. The Inter-American Development Bank estimates remittances to Haiti reached more than $1.87 billion in 2008. That amounted to 16.2 percent of the gross domestic product. About 70 percent of the money came from the United States, which has large groups of Haitians in Miami, New York and Boston.

“It’s going to be critical to open up the spigot,” said John Rodriguez, president of the Florida International Bankers Association.

Hollywood-based Unitransfer, a major money transfer firm in Haiti, said it resumed sending money from the United States to people in Haiti Tuesday, and isn’t charging fees.

“We are waiving all transfer fees. We know the situation is difficult on this side as well, and we want to do whatever is possible to help people to send money that is crucially needed in Haiti,” said Jean-Marc Piquion, a vice president at Unitransfer, a unit of Unibank, Haiti’s largest commercial bank.

Piquion said locations in the provinces should be operating normally, while outlets in Port-au-Prince are becoming operative “gradually.”

At a Unitransfer store in Miami’s Little Haiti Tuesday, Rose Baker sent $100 to a friend’s brother suffering from two broken legs. She said it is a relief to be able to start providing direct financial help to loved ones.

“I have to come back later to send some more money to my family. Right now, they’re stranded in Port-au-Prince with nothing to eat or drink,” Baker said.

Joubert Pascal was on his way to send $200 to his sons who are sleeping outside in a park after their home suffered extensive damage. “They need the money to buy food or whatever. They have nothing in their pockets,” he said.

In Haiti, the rupture in the cash pipeline is hitting hard.

“Yesterday I bought a case of juice for 80 [Haitian gourds, the currency]. Before, it was 65,” said Estaneala Bonheur, who was sitting in a lonely Port-au-Prince soda stand with no customers. “But nobody has money in their hands, so nobody is buying. Even cigarettes are too expensive.”

Marie Carmel Plasir, who has a spot at the tent city right in front of the crumbled National Palace in Port-au-Prince, said she has lots of relatives in Miami willing to send her money. She just hasn’t had any way to get to it.

“My family in Miami takes care of me, and they want to continue taking care of me,” Plasir said. “They are asking me how to send money but there’s no possibility. Nothing is open. I have to depend on other families to share their food with us.”

To get cash into Haitians’ hands, City National Bank, an African-American-owned bank in Newark, N.J., which isn’t related to City National Bank of Florida, is working with Fonkoze, a financial services firm that serves Haiti’s poor, to provide free money transfer services to Haitians. The two firms have an ongoing project aimed at reducing the cost of delivering cash to Haitians from family and friends outside the country.

Louis Prezeau, president of City National Bank and a director of Fonkoze, said the reopening of Haiti’s banks this week should enable City National and Fonkoze to go ahead with the fee-free money transfers, once cash is available. “Fonkoze has very grass roots connections in Haiti. The idea is to make it simpler and easier and cheaper for Haitians to send funds to their families.”

Rodriguez, the president of FIBA, said the earthquake’s devastating blow comes just as Haiti was beginning to make progress in exporting and trade finance. “Factoring arrangements were being established so exports could be financed,” he said. “We’re hoping it’s a temporary interruption and we hope to get back on track.”

Miami Herald staff writers Jacqueline Charles in Port-au-Prince and Nadege Charles in Miami contributed to this report.

Since the January, 12th  earthquake, Pure Water for the World has received many offers of assistance in its effort to help provide clean drinking water. A group of radio stations is raising funds to rebuild the water program in schools in Cite Soleil.  Because of the work of PWW, a medical team from Burlington, Vermont has traveled to Haiti with a medical organization and is representing the concerns and interest of Pure Water for the World.  Many professionals are offering their services to help in whatever way they can.  We are very grateful for the outpouring of support.

Beltrami’s is happy to announce that we are helping Pure Water for the World, an international aid organization (that just happens to be run by Rutland’s own Carolyn Meub) to raise $$ for Haitian relief.

Here’s the scoop:

**Have your family’s portrait created by Beltrami’s in the months of February or March.
**Donate as much as you want for your session fee (we usually charge $150 for a Family Portrait Session)…we’re asking for a $25 minimum, but please consider as much as you can because of the size of the need.

**100% of your session fee goes to Pure Water for the World!
Plus, you can get discounts when you order prints and even frames.

Call 802-773-8480 to schedule your family’s appointment!

This donation effort and program expires on World Water Day, March 22.

**$1200 gets a water purification set-up to 200 children in Haiti. How many kids do you think we can help?!

Here’s Beltrami’s Facebook…become a fan!

Here’s Beltrami’s website.

One more thing: Another kind of ‘aftershock’ of the Haiti earthquake is disease, and disease spreads easiest through bad sanitation and dirty drinking water. Many more people in Haiti will die without the help that Pure Water is and will provide. Please tell your friends about this so we can raise as much $$ as possible to send relief to our Haitian neighbors!!

Thanks so much!! -    Beltrami’s Studio

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BAI AND VJC HAVE TO HELP HAITI

Have To Help Haiti, a collaboration between Brattleboro Arts Initiative and the Vermont Jazz Center, is a benefit concert to raise desperately needed funds to support Haiti in the aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake.   The event will take place on Thursday February 4, 2010 at the Latchis Theatre in downtown Brattleboro, and is being produced on a volunteer basis with 100% of the proceeds going to Pure Water for the World (PWW).

Pure Water for the World started its campaign in Haiti in early 2008. This national non-profit, which started right here in Brattleboro with groundbreaking effort by the Brattleboro Rotary Club, brings hygiene, education, and clean water to schools, clinics and orphanages. As of early 2010, PWW has provided clean water and hygiene education to 205,000 children in over 725 schools in Haiti.  Pure Water for the World Executive Director Carolyn Meub says “The best way you can help today is to provide a donation…. All funds collected will be used to provide clean water in Haiti.”

Have To Help Haiti will feature local and regional musicians and talent as well as guest speaker(s) from Pure Water for the World.  The event is currently scheduled to start at 7:00 p.m. and run for about 2 hours.   Tickets will be a suggested donation of $20.00.  . Local restaurants are also supporting this community wide effort by donating a portion of sales that night to the Pure Water for the World Haitian Relief Fund.  Participating restaurants (so far) include The Tap Room, Peter Havens, and Three Stones.  Ticket outlets and performer line-up will be announced soon, but save the date.  For more information, call 802-380-2537.

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Musicains for Haiti Benefit Concert

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 / 7:30pm
Alix Goolden Hall, 907 Pandora Avenue
Admission by donation

Performers Include:

Nancy Argenta – soprano
Ingrid Attrot - soprano
Laura Backstrom – cello
Kelly Charlton -  piano
Kenji Fuse – viola
Marcus Hissen – trombone
Robert Holliston – piano
Mary Rannie – bass
Jamie Syer – piano
Terence Tam – violin
Winifred Wood – piano
Victoria Children’s Choir
VCM Student Ensembles and Soloists

download PDF of concert poster

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Change the World Kids, Three Tomatoes Trattoria, and Dartmouth Medical School partner to raise money for Haiti.

The Change the World Kids’ belief is simple: No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.  A week after the earthquake in Haiti, kids our own age and their families are in crisis, homeless, critically ill or injured, and without the basic needs of life.  Our relief effort Teens Connecting Continents – Haiti is rapidly responding to the people of Haiti and creating events that will continue to help support them during the early stages of this disaster.

First, the urgent need in Haiti is financial support. Change the World Kids are partnering with Three Tomatoes Trattoria and Dartmouth Medical School to raise money for Haiti.  On the evenings of Tuesday January 26^th, Wednesday January 27^th, and Thursday January 28^th, Three Tomatoes Trattoria will donate $5 per dinner entrée ordered at each of their four locations to the relief effort in Haiti. You can dine and donate on January 26^th, 27^th and 28^th at Three Tomatoes Burlington, Williston, and Rutland, Vermont and Lebanon, New Hampshire.

The money raised these evenings will be distributed through Partners in Health (PIH) and Pure Water for the World.

These two non-profit organizations have deep roots, both in Haiti and in our community. PIH was co-founded by Dr. Jim Yong Kim, the current President of Dartmouth College, and Dr. Paul Farmer. PIH has provided health care in Haiti for almost 25 years and according to Dr. Kim, “Earthquake victims are streaming into PIH clinics in Haiti, which are located in rural areas that sustained less damage”. In support of PIH, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center has sent 2 teams of medical personnel and 3,000 pounds of supplies. Change the World Kids, Three Tomatoes Trattoria, and Dartmouth Medical School hope that this fundraiser will be able to support current relief efforts and help begin the rebuilding process.

Pure Water for the World is a Vermont non-profit organization, which began its project in Haiti in 2008. Their goal is to reduce intestinal parasites and illness by preventing children from drinking contaminated water. This non-profit organization is even more critical to the children of Haiti than before. Today, Pure Water for the World sends the news that 205,000 children from 725 schools now have access to clean water in Port-au-Prince. Still far more children and adults remain dehydrated and threatened by waterborne diseases.

You can help change the story, the news, and the world for current and future generations. Join us at Three Tomatoes to enjoy a wonderful meal with family and friends, while raising money for the people of Haiti.

Visit changetheworldkids.org for information about additional events in the coming weeks.

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PRESS RELEASE

Rutland Helps Haiti Benefit Concert

Rutland Helps Haiti on February 5^th, 2010 with a benefit concert at the Paramount Theatre in Downtown Rutland at 7 pm brought to you by Catamount Radio, with all of the donations going to Pure Water For The World’s Haitian clean water initiative. Their mission is more important than ever in light of the recent earthquakes. Many are not aware that right here in our town, Rutland, Carolyn Meub and Pure Water have been hard at work in Haiti for years producing water filters to provide clean, safe drinking water, giving Haitians health and hope that leads to opportunity. Now, more than ever, Pure Water needs your help and Rutland has a long, proud history of coming through when called on. Clean water equals health, hope and opportunity and on Friday, February 5^th, you can make a real difference with your donation.

Caitlin Canty and Darlingside brought to you by Catamount Radio, Friday, February 5^th at 7pm at The Paramount Theatre.  Tickets are available at the door only, night of show, starting at 6pm for a suggested  $10.00 minimum donation, cash or check only, checks for any amount can be made out to: Pure Water. Help us fill the water filter. Together we can achieve our $10,000 fundraising goal, enough to help bring clean water to at least 5 schools. 100% of the donations from the benefit concert go directly to Pure Water For The World in Rutland, VT. Carolyn Meub will also be on hand to share the message of what is going on in Haiti today with the relief initiative and how your donations are going to make a real difference in the lives of those in need.

Caitlin Canty, an indie singer/songwriter, crafts her songs with maple-sugared vocals, blues-touched tones, and a percussive guitar. A Proctor, Vermont native now based in New York City, Caitlin spent her early years working on the production side of live music and backing up more established artists while quietly cultivating her own music. After finally escaping the cubicle, Caitlin swung around to the other side of the microphone and now performs regularly at The Living Room, Rockwood Music Hall and listening rooms across New England. Her fans compare her voice and songs to the likes of Patti Griffin, Norah Jones , and Bonnie Raitt. Caitlin sings often with Rachel Loshak and David Poe and has opened for John Hammond and Duncan Sheik. She has independently produced several EP’s and one full-length album, Green (2007) with a new multiple-part album to be released in 2010.

Darlingside is a string-rock quintet recently settled in Northhampton, MA. The band formed at Williams College, where they share the stage with such acts as Guster, The Format and The Ken Oak Band. Darlingside’s sound is characterized by elegantly crafted cello-violin duets, soaring harmonies, catchy hooks and compelling beats. Musical influences range from Radiohead to Nickel Creek, Beethoven to Phoenix. In 2010, these five multi-instrumentalists and their bold new songs are poised to explode onto stages all across the Northeast.

For more information and for complete benefit detail, be sure to listen to your favorite Catamount Radio Station or check out their website at www.catamountradio.com