Haiti is appealing for international aid, following Tuesday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake which has devestated the tiny Caribbean nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince.  Tens of thousands of people are believed to have been killed in the earthquake, and there is concern that the death toll could rise to more than 100,000.

The epicentre of the Haiti earthquake was only about 10 miles from Port-au-Prince and many of the city’s buildings have been either destroyed or seriously damaged, including the Presidential Palace, the headquarters of the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti, the National Cathedral, and the Hotel Montana. Survivors are in desperate need of food and water, and emergency aid workers are beginning to arrive in the country.

Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, although it is on the same island, Hispaniola, as the Dominican Republic, which is an extremely popular tourist destination. Haiti is also only 750 miles away from Florida. The country lies on the Enriquillo Plantain Garden Fault Line.

Oxfam is one of many international charities working within Haiti. You can donate money to Oxfam’s Haiti earthquake fund via the charity’s website.