The storms that have battered Haiti (and the US) in the past few weeks have left more than 500 dead in the small island nation, and wreaked havoc in the lives of more than 600,000 people who have been displaced by flooding or cut off from food supplies.

Haitian President René Preval has appealed for help from the international community, saying the country faces a “catastrophe”.

Wyclef Jean, musician, Haitian Goodwill Ambassador and founder of non-profit organization Yéle Haiti, has launched the “Haiti Storm Relief Fund” to provide food, water, purification tablets, tents, blankets, medical supplies, hygiene kits as well as funds to a number of non-profit organizations working on the ground to respond to the emergency.

“My country is facing a serious catastrophe at the moment,” said Mr. Jean, “and we urgently require assistance. But the long-term catastrophe is that we have less than two percent tree cover, and without restoring our forests we will always be susceptible to mudslides and flash floods from storms and hurricanes.”

Donations can be made online at Yéle Haiti - established by musician Wyclef Jean to assist his native land of Haiti.