Surely all of you now know about the latest disaster to hit Haiti — an earthquake of 7.0 hit Haiti at about 4 PM on January 12, 2010, followed by aftershocks of 5.5 and 5.9.
The damage to Port-au-Prince looks like the result of a bombing raid and, indeed, experts say that the devastation resembles that of a nuclear blast. For the poor, traumatized people of Haiti — 80% of whom live at poverty level or below — the situation is dire. At the best of times, most people cannot afford to buy food for more than one day, nor can they store it because of the lack of refrigeration.
Food will be scarce in days to come.
Likewise, water, never very safe, now commands a premium price, dirty or clean, if it can even be found.
Because I lived and worked in Haiti for three years, that country and its resilient, charming people claim a special part of my heart.
I urge you to consider donating some financial help to the aid charity of your choice, to assist these suffering people in the days, weeks, and months ahead
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CYNTHIA D. BERTELSEN 
The ensuing news continues to just devastate me — it’s all so sad, so complicated, and so tragic.
I am deeply saddened with what happened to Haiti. Nature has again devastates our fellowmen. We can help them to climb back from the tragedy.