State Dept. Launches Person-Finder Tool to Locate the Missing in Haiti

Secretary Clinton Announces Launch of State.Gov Person Finder Tool for Those Missing in Haiti

A woman checks the toe tag of a deceased person killed in the earthquake that struck Haiti. UN photo.

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced today the launch of a new tool on www.state.gov, the “Person Finder,” to allow people to find and share information on missing loved ones in Haiti.

NOTE: The tool was removed by current administration.

People around the world are turning to the Internet to search for information on friends and family in Haiti: however, accurate information is fragmented and difficult to locate.

The State Department convened a call with NGOs and the tech community to brainstorm how to innovatively utilize technology in the ongoing search and rescue efforts. As a result of the call, a group of engineers from the private, public, and NGO sectors come together to build the “Person Finder.”

It is a simple tool that allows people to locate and contribute information on people in Haiti. This tool is available in French and English, and can be embedded on any website.

In addition to helping people find their loved ones, this tool will make the data accessible to other governments and private organizations in an easily manageable and accessible format.

U.S. CITIZENS IN HAITI

U.S. citizens are urged to contact the Embassy via email at ACSPaP@state.gov to request assistance. U.S. citizens in Haiti can call the Embassy's Consular Task Force at 509-2229-8942, 509-2229-8089, 509-2229-8322, or 509-2229-8672. The State Department has also created a task force to monitor the emergency.

People in the U.S. or Canada with information or inquiries about U.S. citizens in Haiti may reach the Haiti Task Force at 888-407-4747. Outside of the U.S. and Canada, call 202-501-4444.

The Department of State has received a high volume of calls concerning the welfare of U.S. citizens in Haiti. To handle these requests most efficiently, the Department has established an e-mail address for people who are trying to contact their U.S. citizen friends and relatives in Haiti.

Please send your inquiries to: Haiti-Earthquake@State.Gov and include the following information:

* The full name, date of birth and passport information (if known) of the persons in Haiti you are trying to contact.

* Their contact information in Haiti; telephone numbers, email address, hotel name or address (if known)

* Your name and contact information, and your relationship to the person in Haiti (parent, spouse, friend etc.)

* Any special or emergency circumstances.

Our task force will work with our Embassy staff in Haiti to locate and, if needed, provide assistance. We will respond to each message as soon as possible. If you hear from the person you are concerned about, please be sure to send us an email providing the new information about their location or condition.

Please read the Travel Warning on Haiti.

OFFERS OF ASSISTANCE FOR RELIEF EFFORTS

Anyone wishing to donate or provide assistance in Haiti following the devastating earthquake is asked to contact the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) which has established a dedicated page to coordinate Haiti support. More information

Other ways to help:

* text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill;

* go online to organizations like the American Red Cross and Mercy Corps to make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts or;

* Visit InterAction to contribute.

Learn how to protect yourself: How to Identify and Avoid Email Scams.

Source: U.S. State Department news release