It is Day 3 of the Haiti earthquake relief effort, and I have a few updates to report:

• The Red Cross now has dozens of disaster specialists in Haiti, assessing the damage, addressing urgent needs and establishing the foundation for a long-term recovery plan. Today six disaster responders arrived in Port-au-Prince, and are joined by the 15-person staff we already had on the ground, and the 12 Red Cross teams that arrived from other countries yesterday. Among them are engineers, surgeons and family linking specialists. These teams will establish field hospitals, restore water and sanitation systems, distribute supplies and restore family links facilities.
• Two planes carrying Red Cross humanitarian assistance are landing in Port-au-Prince this afternoon, if they are not re-routed. The first is carrying a field hospital, and the second is carrying tarps, blankets, hygiene items, buckets, shelter supplies and kitchen sets.
• As you may have seen from news reports, the aftermath of the earthquake has posed logistical challenges for all humanitarian organizations, including the Red Cross, who are working around the clock to meet the challenges and ensure aid reaches the survivors.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross is also helping to reconnect separated families within the country. They have established a special website enabling persons in Haiti and abroad to search for and register the names of relatives missing since the earthquake: www.icrc.org/familylinks. Within 48 hours of its launch, more than 13,800 visited the site.
• To date, the Red Cross is meeting any requests for blood due to this tragedy through current supplies. At this time, we do not anticipate the need for a special donor appeal to support our efforts. As always, blood donors are encouraged to call 1-800-RED CROSS or to make an appointment at redcrossblood.org.

Michael Braeuninger is the supervisor of international services for the St. Louis Area Chapter