The scenes from Port-au-Prince are horrifying, and the needs are staggering. There is no food, no water, no place to bury the dead. And there is also no information. According to CPJ’s Senior Americas Program Coordinator Carlos Lauria, who spoke with Haitian journalist Guylar Delva today, only a handful of Creole-language radio stations are operating. Journalists are unable to work because they have been personally devastated—their homes have collapsed or their loved ones have died.
At this terrible moment, people in Haiti need information—information about where to find food and shelter, what hospitals are operating, what aid agencies are on the ground. We’re determined to help get Haitian journalists back on their feet so they can start working.
We are reaching out to our contacts in Haiti to assess what they need. If you have any information, please post a comment below or notify us via Twitter: @HelpJournalists. We are beginning to collect funds that will go directly to Haitian journalists. If you’d like to make a contribution you can click this link and enter “Haiti” in the “Notes” section on the second page.
Meanwhile, we will use this blog and our Twitter feed to keep you updated on any new developments.