Since the news of the earthquake in Haiti numerous relief efforts have been underway to help the country through such an awful crisis. Many Haitian Americans struggle and pray for news of family members and friends who have been hit by the devastating disaster. "Women and Children" are considered some of the most "in need" at the present time.

According to Salon.com, "Beyond the desperate scramble to deliver basic aid to the people of quake-ravaged Haiti, there are attempts under way to specifically help women and children. It may seem an outmoded approach -- something along the lines of "women and children first" -- but they are typically the ones most vulnerable in the wake of a catastrophe like the 7.0 earthquake that hit the country Tuesday, potentially killing hundreds of thousands."

"It's easy to see how [children] are more prone to outbreaks of disease,” UNICEF’s Patrick McCormick told Broadsheet. “They are weaker, they are smaller and there are more of them."

In Haiti, almost half the population is under age 21 -- and "women are with their children, usually," he explains.

"So, what we do in situations like this is to create safe areas where they can congregate." Even before Haiti was rocked by the quake, it had “the highest rates of infant, under-five and maternal mortality in the Western hemisphere,” according to UNICEF.

This has been an emotional rollercoaster for both Haitians effected by the earthquake and Americans who are scrambling to lend support, volunteers, and money in this dire time of need. Many women are pregnant and are in need of services, but due to the lack of resources, it is an impossible to estimate the amount of damage done to each person.

Of course, pregnant women may be in need of special medical attention, as well as "supplementary food and vitamins," Elaine Enarson, cofounder of the Gender and Disaster Network, wrote in an e-mail.

Many organizations are worried about the reproductive services needed to aid in the relief of those effected.

Women in general will be in need of "hygiene supplies, continued access to birth control/reproductive health services … [and] supplies for their children and other dependents," added Enarson, who began studying disaster response after her own experience on the ground after Florida’s Hurricane Andrew.

It isn’t just that women often require special care and resources post-disaster; human rights organizations say that they could also play a critical role in distributing much-needed aid, according to Salon.com.

Women "are central actors in family and community life," says Enarson, and are more likely to know "who in the neighborhood most needs help -- where the single mothers, women with disabilities, widows and the poorest of the poor live." Diana Duarte, a spokesperson for MADRE, an international women’s rights organization that has joined the relief effort, put it this way:

"Women are often more integrated and more aware of the vulnerabilities of their communities."

Women have always been a source of concern in Haiti and with the disaster the worry has increased.

They are "at increased risk of gender-based violence, especially domestic violence and rape but also forced marriage at earlier ages" due to their increased dependence on men for protection and support, says Enarson. After a disaster of this magnitude, there will also be scores of "newly disabled, widowed or homeless women" in need of help. MADRE’s Duarte points out that women’s generally higher "level of poverty negatively effects their ability to access resources to rebuild."

This tragic situation has effected us all. It is such a shock that a poor country would have to endure even more hardship due to the recent earthquake. With the help of other countries around the world, I hope that aid, resources, comfort, and prayers will be sent to the people dealing with the disaster and those who have families affected by the tragedy.

To Help The People of Haiti, you can:

Text "YELE" to 501501 and donate $5 to Help with Wyclef Jean's "Haiti Relief Effort"

or you can go online to www.yele.org and donate a substantial amount.

Please Read the Statement by Wyclef Jean and visit his website for UP-T0-DATE-INFO on Haiti!

Please Check out the Salvation Army Website to Donate to the Relief Efforts in Haiti!

Visit the White House Blog to learn how to HELP FOR HAITI!