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As the projected death toll climbs from Haiti’s earthquake, one local charity is fighting to get reliable information and figure out how they can help. 

The Colorado Haiti Project has been aiding people in Petit Trou de Nippes, a town of approximately 1,000 that is about 80 miles west of Port-Au-Prince, since 1989. The Colorado non-profit has 53 staff members in Petit Trou de Nippes.

Since Tuesday’s 7.0 magnitude quake struck Haiti and potentially killed tens of thousands of people, Paul Casey of the Colorado Haiti Project has been unable to reach any of his staff in Petit Trou de Nippes to learn how they’re doing and how severely the region was impacted by the earthquake.

“It’s gut wrenching,” he said. “There are people we really care about and love and we just don’t know.”

Petit Trou de Nippes is considered to be among the “poorest of the poor” areas in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere. 

A Colorado Haiti Project medical team was scheduled before the earthquake to fly into Haiti today to deal with the “regular, awful stuff that is there everyday.” However, the trip has been postponed until the group gets more information about what exactly is going on and needed.

Along with the immediate casualties that the earthquake might have caused in Petit Trou de Nippes and surrounding areas, the natural disaster has likely disrupted the area’s food distribution network. According to Casey, most of the people in Petit Trou de Nippes are already malnourished and only have food for a given day. This means that a disrupted network could lead to even more hunger and starvation. 

“This is some of the most extreme poverty you can ever imagine,” said Casey.

Since being founded in 1989, the Colorado Haiti Project has helped expand Petit Trou de Nippes school and women’s vocational programs, built wells that give the village a clean water supply, and partnered with Fonkoze to support local women entrepreneurs. The infrastructure that the Colorado Haiti Project helped build was much more structurally sound than many other buildings in Haiti, but Casey didn’t know as of yesterday afternoon if the infrastructure and clean water wells survived the earthquake. 

“We’re trying to get that information right now, but it’s very difficult,” he said. 

Casey is resisting the impulse to fly immediately to Haiti. He believes it makes more sense to first find out what supplies and help are needed and then plan accordingly. Casey is recommending that people interested in helping make financial contributions that can then be utilized for needed supplies. People can donate directly to the non-profit at ColoradoHaitiProject.org.

Meanwhile, other charities like Colorado Red Cross, Catholic Relief Services and Episcopal Relief and Development are also accepting donations that they will use to benefit Haiti. 

Reuters quoted Haitian Red Cross Spokesman Pericles Jean-Baptiste as saying that his organization was overwhelmed by the tragedy.

“There are too many people who need helpÉwe lack equipment, we lack body bags,” he told Reuters.

However, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers and Colorado Secretary of State Bernie Buescher issued a warning yesterday about unregistered charities or other entities attempting to use the Haiti earthquake to scam consumers. The leaders urge anyone interested in donating to smaller known charities to first check ChecktheCharity.com to make sure the charity is registered with the state. Seniors can contact AARP ElderWatch via the Colorado Consumer Line, 1-800-222-4444, for more information on charity fraud.

“Coloradans have demonstrated a tremendous capacity for generosity during past disasters, but even the best intentioned donors should take precautions to ensure they are not victims of fraud,” said a statement from Suthers. “Scam artists often use disasters to take advantage of the generosity of those who simply want to help.”

U.S. President Barack Obama called the quake an “especially cruel and incomprehensible” tragedy and pledged swift, coordinated support to help save lives. The Pentagon was sending a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and three amphibious ships, including one that can carry up to 2,000 Marines.

Ń Reuters contributed to this report 

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