Haitian-Canadians look to the internet for information

Haitian-Canadians with family and friends living in Haiti are looking to the internet for information on the earthquake and the well-being of their loved ones.

In the GTA, many Haitian businesses are turning into gathering places for Torontonians with friends and family in the earthquake zone.

People are gathering to send emails and make phone calls, but they are largely going unanswered.

According to the most recent estimates from the World Bank, just over 10 per cent of Haitians have access to the Internet.

Still, the Internet had a huge impact in establishing the initial lines of communication with aid workers already on the ground in Haiti, reported both Red Cross Canada and Oxfam Canada, which used Skype video conferencing in lieu of phones.

“That was a really key moment, that is a different experience than in the past,” said Alexandra Lopoukhine of Oxfam Canada, which works together with CARE Canada, Oxfam-Quebec and Save the Children Canada to run the Humanitarian Coalition in times of crisis.

“The Internet maintains some level of connectivity. But of course not everyone would have access to Internet or to a computer _ or electricity even to run that computer.”

Twitter and Facebook users encouraged each other to donate to the relief efforts and the U.S. Red Cross quickly collected US$800,000 after a text message campaign went viral.

Some Haitian business owners in Toronto are planning to get together tonight to brainstorm a way to organize a campaign to raise funds and gather relief supplies for the effort back in Haiti.

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