FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2010   
MEDIA CONTACT:
STEVEN ENGELHARDT (314) 504-4029

STATEMENT BY
CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY (D) MISSOURI
ON THE EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI

NOTE:  The following is a
first-person statement from
Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri

"As the extent of the terrible devastation and the scope of this emergency becomes clearer, I want to express my support and sympathy for the people of Haiti.  As the President has already said, we will do whatever is needed to save lives and to help Haiti recover from this tragedy."

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Additional Information & Resources:

Looking for Relatives

Families of Americans living in Haiti who are trying to find the status of their loved ones are encouraged to contact the State Department at 1-888-407-4747. This line is experiencing a high volume of calls at this time, so some callers may receive a recording. To better handle these requests, the State Department has established an e-mail address as well: Haiti-Earthquake@state.gov.

A top priority of the State Department is accounting for the thousands of American citizens who are currently in Haiti. US citizens in Haiti have been urged to contact the Embassy via email at ACSPaP@state.gov to request assistance or call the Embassy's Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672.

The Red Cross has also set up a Family Links website managed by the ICRC, in cooperation with the tracing services of the Haitian Red Cross Society and of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies throughout the world, to assist in the process of restoring contact between separated family members:

    * Family Links website for Haiti»
    * Cette page en français»

More Resources

    * White House»
    * State Department»
    * USAID»

Assistance for Haiti Relief Efforts
The State Department has established a dedicated web page that offers advice for anyone wishing to provide assistance to those affected by the earthquake:

    * State Department Haiti Earthquake website»

The Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) provides information and guidance in support of appropriate international disaster relief:

    * Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) website»

Haitian Earthquake Relief Fraud Alert
The FBI has issued a fraud alert, reminding Internet users who receive appeals to donate money in the aftermath of Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti to apply a critical eye and do their due diligence before responding to those requests. Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization and/or a good cause. Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following:

    * Do not respond to any unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, including clicking links contained within those messages.
    * Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.
    * Verify the legitimacy of nonprofit organizations by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming the group’s existence and its nonprofit status rather than following a purported link to the site.
    * Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
    * Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf to ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes.
    * Do not give your personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: Providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

Anyone who has received an e-mail referencing the above information or anyone who may have been a victim of this or a similar incident should notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.