News of the humanitarian disaster in Haiti is still unfolding and it will be weeks before the final death toll is known.
Doctors without Borders or Medicins sans Frontieres is the organisation which I support on a monthly basis and the organisation which is sending a 50-bed portable hospital to Haiti to assist with the disaster relief.
If you have not heard of this organisation here is a little of its history.
In 1970 French doctors who had worked in Biafra joined forces Raymond Borel's group called Secours Médical Français ("French Medical Relief") in response to the 1970 Bhola cyclone, which killed at least 500,000 in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The aim was to recruit doctors to provide aid to victims of natural disasters.
On 20 December 1971, the two groups of colleagues merged to form Médecins Sans Frontières.
MSF’s first mission as an independent aid organization was to the Nicaraguan capital, Managua, where a 1972 earthquake had destroyed most of the city and killed between 10,000 and 30,000 people. The organization is today known for its quick response in an emergency.
If you live in Australia, you can contribute through the Austalian office on 1300 136061 or contact them through their website at Medicins sans Frontieres
