Haiti flag The very first island in the Caribbean to end slavery and colonial rule thus creating the 1st African republic in the west. Haiti suffered a major earthquake that measured 7.3 on the Richter scale. This was followed by about 30 or more aftershocks two of which was said to measure 5.9 and 5.0.

Homes, Hospitals, Hotels and the Presidential Palace have all been destroyed by the quake. Watching the news is heartbreaking. Many conversations I hear people say well the buildings were not of good quality etc. But did you not hear or read how strong the magnitude of those quakes were? I doubt in any country major damage would not have occurred in any country with those figures. The Caribbean is no stranger to natural disasters as they are prone to hurricanes yearly.

Wyclef Jean is a Haitian born singer,rapper and producer. His Yele foundation has managed to raise $1 million dollars through mobile text donations in just one day. In a statement on the site Wyclef says:

I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now. (source)

If you are able to, please donate what you can to help. In the UK you can do so at your local bank or to any charity of your choice that is helping. Worldwide charities are working together. We steadfastly live in a global community so lets take care of our neighbours.

I watched a clip on CNN of a 15 day old baby with her Dad. Their home collapsed on top of her killing her mum. So sad. Haiti needs all the help she can get.

Praying for the people Haiti!!

PS: As a lady with family in the Caribbean I was concerned. The thought of possible further tragedy by Tsunami had me feeling faint. The vibrations of this quake was felt in Jamaica. My brother in law felt it. I am just praying Haiti and her people make a speedy recovery. It is going to be long road but I pray out of this tragedy something positive happens. Haiti deserves some good luck for a change.