by Kitty Taylor

//Cross-posted from BCLC Blog

Today, BCLC Executive Director Stephen Jordan issued the following statement in response to the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti:

“On January 12 at 5:00 pm Eastern time, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, 17 km south of the capital city of Port-au-Prince.  Initial reports suggest widespread damage and a high number of casualties.

“BCLC, together with the business community, is coordinating with relief agencies and NGOs on the ground in Haiti.  According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs, there is very little access to many parts of Haiti because of debris and closed roads.  Evacuation of injured, medical supplies and expertise are needed. Also clean water may be urgently needed very soon.

“Similar to the response after Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and the Chinese earthquake in 2008, the Gulf Coast hurricanes in 2006, the Indian Ocean tsunami in late 2004, and several other catastrophic disasters, BCLC is activating the Office Depot Foundation-sponsored Help Desk (1-888-MY-BIZ-HELP, bclchelpdesk@uschamber.com), hosting coordination calls, sharing information, documenting corporate aid contributions, and informing the public and relevant partners about the current state of corporate disaster aid contributions.

“BCLC has already heard from dozens of companies that are doing everything from health care to emergency food supplies to support for nonprofits on the ground.  We will provide regular updates on our website about on the ground activity in the disaster zones.

“In the meantime, corporate citizens looking to engage in the relief and recovery effort should refer to this BCLC quick reference guide for 11 important tips (PDF) about how to respond and work in partnership with authorities and nonprofits, gather information, communicate with colleagues, and engage employees in service.”