A week after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti killing tens of thousands, charities, companies, individuals and celebrities across the US have rallied to raise more than $210 million for relief work in this Caribbean nation – much more than that of tsunami.
"The pace of giving for Haiti is running ahead of the amount donated in the same period after the Asian tsunamis in 2004, but slower than the outpouring of gifts after the flooding caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005," reported The Chronicle of Philanthropy, a daily covering nonprofit bodies.
"In the six days after the flooding started in New Orleans, Americans gave at least $457-million for relief efforts. In the nine days after the Asian tsunamis, major US relief groups raised $163-million," the newspaper said, according to which in the first six days after the quake in Haiti more than $210 million has been raised.
The figure is based on a survey of 25 charities contributing the largest amounts of money to Haiti. According to the newspaper, the Red Cross tops the list with $112 million of which it has raised $21 million through the unique $10 gifts through mobile text messaging.
"That's a record for the group in terms of text messages. In contrast, it raised $200,000 from texts during the 2008 hurricane season," the newspaper said.
The US Fund for UNICEF had raised $18.2 million as of Monday and Catholic Relief Services had received $13.1 million in gifts and pledges, the paper said.
