The 7.0-rated earthquake that rocked the island nation of Haiti has left thousands of people dead, the capital city of Port-au-Prince in ruins and the country’s communications systems destroyed. With its epicenter only 20 kilometers from Port-au-Prince, a city of nearly 1.8 million people in its metropolitan area, nearly a third of Haiti’s nine million people have been affected by the devastation wrought by the quake.

Aid workers are leaving nations all over the world to offer hands-on assistance to Haitians in their time of need and the American Red Cross, the world’s most recognized aid agency, is asking for immediate donations. The Red Cross has setup an SMS service to allow quick donations by text message; giving to the aid campaign couldn’t easier.

To donate $10 USD to the Red Cross simply text the message ‘HAITI’ to 90999 from any mobile phone; the charge will appear on your wireless carrier’s bill in your next billing cycle.