Text Messages Help Us Hear Haiti’s Cry for Help

In an attempt to provide aid more directly and quickly, the State Department, the Pentagon, Haiti’s leading cellphone carrier, and a myriad of volunteers have set up an emergency contact network in which Haitians can send text messages to call for aid. This new coalition also scans through Facebook and Twitter posts to find out where resources are needed most.

Every cell phone within the Haitian carrier’s network was sent the distress code number – 4636 – which was also announced on local radio stations.

Once a volunteer of this program receives a message via text, Facebook or Twitter, they pass the information to  military personnel at the United States Southern Command in South Florida, which then finds the coordinates from which the message was sent.

This new system was the result of fallen cell towers and overloaded networks which made telephone calls impossible. Though calls would not go through, text messages stilled worked as they used less bandwidth and was an effective way for Haitians trying to find friends and family following the earthquake.

So far, the system has proven to be extremely useful as a text seeking for food and water supply helped the American military and relief workers discover a tent city they were unaware of before.

Since its conception, this program has expanded to more than just receiving messages from those in need. It has also begun to send out news and updates to cell phone users in Haiti about where people can find medical care and food. In addition, updates have been sent with information about the government relief work within the country.

Over a little more than a month now, the country of Haiti continues to suffer from the 7.0 earthquake in January. Help the country by giving to: The Red Cross, Mercy Corp’s Haiti Earthquake Fund,  the volunteers of Oxfam, and/or the medical efforts of Doctors Without Borders.

sources: here and here.