Early Response

In the days following the earthquake, President Obama gave an inspirational speech of what lies ahead. "I’ve directed my administration to launch a swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives and support the recovery in Haiti. The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element of our national capacity — our diplomacy and development assistance; the power of our military; and, most importantly, the compassion of our country." He concluded his speech with a personal message of hope to the people of Haiti, "Finally, I want to speak directly to the people of Haiti. Few in the world have endured the hardships that you have known. Long before this tragedy, daily life itself was often a bitter struggle. And after suffering so much for so long, to face this new horror must cause some to look up and ask, have we somehow been forsaken? To the people of Haiti, we say clearly, and with conviction, you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten. In this, your hour of greatest need, America stands with you. The world stands with you. We know that you are a strong and resilient people. You have endured a history of slavery and struggle, of natural disaster and recovery. And through it all, your spirit has been unbroken and your faith has been unwavering. So today, you must know that help is arriving — much, much more help is on the way."

The United States Agency for International Development's (USAID) Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), as well as other search and rescue teams, arrived in Haiti less than 24 hours after the quake. The teams came from all over the world, including some of the urban areas of the United States, such as Los Angeles, Miami, Virginia Beach, and New York City. Their mission called for a "swfit, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives," as mandated by President Obama. Together, the teams rescued a total of 136 survivors, that were pulled out of the rubble.

The United States' initial response began with a pledge of $100 million to the relief efforts in Haiti, and President Obama promised more was to come. The U.S. quickly deployed staff from 17 government agencies and departments, including USAID, the Department of Defense, etc. Our response included over 20,000 civilians and military personnel. Together, they were responsible for the largest urban food distribution in history, delivering food to 3.5 million people. Emergency shelter was immediately given to 1.5 million.

Sources:
President Barack Obama's statement regarding relief efforts in Haiti. (January 14, 2010.)
http://www.jdnews.com/articles/obama-71790-president-recovery.html

The USAID/Haiti: Post Earthquake Response Homepage.
http://www.usaid.gov/ht/helphaiti.html

Office of the Press Secretary. (2010). The United States Government's Haiti Earthquake Response. The White House.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/united-states-governments-haiti-earthquake-response