Since the devastating 7.0 earthquake in Haiti two weeks ago, Internews has been working on the ground with local Haitian media and humanitarian aid agencies to get critical information directly to the people who need it most.

Please help the people of Haiti receive the news and information they need.

With a team of local reporters, Internews is producing a daily humanitarian news broadcast, Nouvelles-Utiles (News You Can Use) currently airing on 20 local radio stations. More stations will be added to the distribution as they restore operations. Listen to the broadcast (Creole).

The show began last Thursday, and reports critical information about water distribution points, openings of displaced persons camps, the role of search and rescue teams, public health advisories, and more.

On Friday night, Internews facilitated the broadcast of the global “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon into Haiti together with national radio and television stations. Narrating into Creole was an Internews-supported, local Haitian journalist, Gaelle Alexis, who was rescued by her husband after spending 10 hours under rubble. “Haiti is a poor country – we have so many troubles. It’s really nice to know that people are thinking about us,” said Alexis. Internews was able to make this broadcast possible with support from MTV, Westwood One, the BBC and CNN.

Watch Gaelle’s story, and learn more about Internews’ response in Haiti:

Our team in Haiti is working with local media outlets, many of which lost reporters and facilities to the earthquake, to assess their needs. Internews is also interviewing survivors, to determine how people are getting news, so that information can be best targeted to the local population.

By serving as a communications link between providers of aid and local media, Internews ensures that Haitian reporters receive and distribute aid information – such as the mobile short code 4636 launched by Ushahidi, which helps gather reports of local needs.

Internews is a founding member of the Inter-Agency Group on Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities (CDAC) that includes UNOCHA, key agencies, such as the Red Cross and Save the Children, and other media assistance providers, such as the BBC World Service Trust and the Reuters Thomson Foundation.  UNOCHA has charged Internews as the lead agency on the ground to coordinate CDAC members’ humanitarian information and media assistance activities in order to achieve maximum impact across the Haiti’s ravaged media landscape.

Your contribution makes a difference in the lives of earthquake victims. Your gift will provide communication equipment, stipends for Haitian journalists, and the ability for Haitian and International staff on the ground to help information on humanitarian aid reach the people who need help.

The need for this work continues. Thank you in advance for helping deliver information to those most affected by a crisis.