A letter from UNA-USA President, Ambassador Tom Miller

Dear UNA-USA Members and Supporters,

Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake on Tuesday is a tragic human disaster that continues to unfold even as relief efforts make their way to the country’s capital. As the death toll mounts, it’s increasingly feared that this could become one of the most devastating global natural disasters in recent history, potentially rivaling Southeast Asia’s tsunami in 2004, which killed more than 200,000 people.

Such a human calamity compels urgent action.

One of the most important actions is to provide for the basic needs of the millions of survivors – food, water, medical supplies, shelter and trauma care. It is our responsibility as people who care to ensure that the humanitarian impact of this disaster does not escalate even higher. By assisting the UN agencies most involved on the ground, we can make a difference.

I know you’ve got a lot of choices – there are many worthy NGOs making appeals simultaneously, but I’d like to urge you to give directly to the pre-eminent UN organizations:

 The World Food Program

 UNICEF

 The World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization

 Central Emergency Response Fund

I’m certain that many of you have already contributed to some of the charities working in Haiti, and I’m proud to learn that several UNA-USA chapters have started campaigns or sent funds by now (e.g. Boston, Santa Clara, East Bay). Some of you may still want to launch chapter campaigns or events, sending your support as soon as possible as well as in the coming weeks.

To keep track of our collective effort, please send an e-mail to our chapter delegate, Herb Behrstock, at Herb@behrstock.com, indicating the amount of your contribution so that we at UNA-USA can inform the UN of our efforts on its behalf.

I’m confident that our globally conscious UNA-USA community will help meet the needs of Haitians and generously respond to this crisis.

Many thanks,


Tom Miller


President and Chief Executive Officer

Click here for a resource sheet on the UN's work in Haiti