Haiti lies in ruins after the catastrophic earthquake, the streets of Port-au-Prince awash with dead bodies. It seems surreal that we are all going about our daily lives while a nightmare unfolds in our backyard.  How can one help in such a mammoth tragedy?

For ordinary people, technology is making it easy to donate. The New York Times reports that over $1.2 million for Haiti have already been collected via text messaging. You can make donations as small as $10 to the Red Cross or $ 5 to the charitable organization run by Haitian born musician Wyclef  Jean, on your mobile phone. Every bit helps – as do heartfelt prayers for peace and well-being – which are free.

Anyone with a mobile phone and an account with a major wireless carrier can text the phrase “Haiti” to the number 90999 and donate $10 to the Red Cross. That amount is charged to the donor’s cellphone bill

Read more about how to help

The Guidestar website also gives useful tips on how to identify which organizations to send your donations to have the maximum effect here