Haiti's people need our help

How much more tragedy can the people of Haiti endure?

Already reeling from the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse last month and lacking a functional, stable government, Haiti is now facing heartbreaking devastation in the wake of a massive earthquake Saturday and then, just days later, the rains and winds of Tropical Storm Grace.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, which hit the rural, southwestern end of the country, more than 1,900 people are dead; thousands more are injured or homeless. The damage is extensive. Then the storm dumped wind-swept rain on residents with only tarps, tents or dangerous buildings for cover.

It'll be a while before we know the true toll of these events on an already-impoverished nation, a country that faced a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 and has long suffered from inadequate infrastructure. Electricity, water and food are never sure things. Just getting into the area hit hardest by the earthquake has been difficult, because roads are impassable or controlled by violent gangs. Getting those injured out of the area is equally complicated for the same reasons.

It's an overwhelming crisis that requires an urgent, coordinated response. The U.S. Coast Guard and other military operations already are assisting, as are national and international aid organizations. But rescue operations have been hampered at every turn. The U.S. military, United Nations and organizations on the ground must work together to try to get aid into the right hands.

That is far easier said than done. The needs are vast, from drinkable water to food to shelter to medical supplies. There's little medical care in the country's southwest and not enough personnel. And even if the injured can be airlifted or brought to other hospitals, those facilities also are overwhelmed, lacking even basics like gauze and pain medication.

It's a time when many of us want to help, but don't know where to start. The answer, for now, is not to buy clothes or cases of water that likely won't get where they need to go. Long Island's elected officials are collecting medical supplies, adult hygiene products, and wipes and diapers, but monetary donations to organizations in Haiti — including the country's emergency relief funds, its hospitals and its only air ambulance — are best.

Haiti needs our help. Right now that means humanitarian aid, with U.S. military support. Going forward, the U.S. may again have to expand Haiti's Temporary Protected Status designation, temporarily stop deportations, and find ways to allow additional Haitian refugees to come here.

Haiti's problems, however, run far deeper and none have simple solutions. With a history of corruption, current instability, a lack of able leadership and security concerns, Haiti lacks a clear path forward, even with help from the U.S. and other countries. But we can start by providing help and hope to the people of Haiti now.