The Department’s Response in Haiti

Dear Colleagues, The great tragedy unfolding in Haiti has led to an outpouring of support here at home and around the world.

As a Department, we are moving rapidly to support the search, rescue, and relief efforts in Haiti. The U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are leading DHS actions to support the larger assistance effort.

Four Coast Guard cutters have arrived in Haiti, in addition to a variety of Coast Guard assets that were already in the area to support military air traffic control, conduct damage assessments and rescue people in need of assistance. FEMA continues to work closely with the State Department and USAID, who are leading the U.S. federal response, while coordinating the deployment of state and local Urban Search and Rescue Teams from across the country to Haiti. CBP has provided aircraft to support response efforts.

The rebuilding process for the people of Haiti will undoubtedly be extremely difficult. As DHS employees, many of you are already contributing to the response effort. If you are interested in providing additional support to those in need, you can visit www.whitehouse.gov/haitiearthquake to make a monetary contribution. You can also make a $10 donation to the Red Cross simply by texting the word “Haiti” to the number “90999” from your mobile phone.

For individuals seeking information about family members in Haiti, the State Department has set up a toll free number, (888) 407-4747.

Thank you again for your service to DHS and to our Nation. Working together, our Department is making a difference for the people of Haiti during this time of tragedy.

Yours very truly,

Janet Napolitano

Secretary