PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Close to $2 million were raised for Haiti by Muslims after a 7.0 earthquake and dozens of aftershocks destroyed the country’s capital city and brought the island nation’s infrastructure to its knees Jan. 12.

“You are already talking about a country that is very poor,” said Mostafa Mahboob, communications manager for Islamic Relief USA, a nonprofit relief agency. “Now that a disaster of this magnitude has occurred, it is our obligation to help the Haitians in this time of need.”

Hospitals, schools, homes, banks and nearly every building collapsed in the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

More than 8.7 million people were affected. Officials estimated that more than 150,000 were killed, thousands were injured, and 1.5 million left homeless.

Zakat Foundation, which had been doing work in Haiti prior to the earthquake, currently cooks and delivers warm food to almost 3,000 children daily, said Khalil Demir, director of the nonprofit relief organization.

“We also run a clinic in the same location as our shelter,” he said. “We were one of the first organizations arriving in Haiti because of our prior-earthquake relation in Haiti.”

When the damage of the quake was realized, Helping Hand for Relief and Development, also a nonprofit relief organization, immediately launched an appeal to raise $1.5 million, according to Mariya Nadeem, marketing director.

“We have close to $300,000 in cash donations, and we are also doing a nationwide in-kind donation campaign,” Nadeem said. “We’ve also set up a medical clinic within Port-Au-Prince. We have a mobile clinic that drives out to remote areas where most medical help is not available."

IR-USA launched a campaign to raise $1 million the morning after the quake. According to Mahboob, $1.7 million has been collected. Now, the goal is to collect $2.5 million.

An emergency team of four people was initially deployed by IR-USA, America’s largest Muslim relief organization, and team members began distributing food and water. 

Now, IR-USA has more than 15 people in the Roman-Catholic country setting up tents, and distributing water and food.

The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints teamed with IR-USA to ship 160,000 pounds of food and medical supplies for Haiti, according to the church’s blog.

Shipments included supplies donated by the church, such as medical equipment, blankets, quilts, first aid kits, water filtration bottles, wheelchairs, and special kits designed to help with newborns and hygiene needs.

IR-USA donated the cost of transporting the supplies through the Dominican Republic to Haiti.

Anwar Khan, an IR-USA senior staff member, accompanied the shipment and has been helping pitch tents and administer aid.

“This is important for Muslims to help people in need, no matter what their faith is,” he said. “We believe in mercy and compassion, (so) let us show it.”

Alongside IR USA’s $1.2 million, almost $70,000 was collected by the Islamic Society of North America to help the victims of Haiti. The money will be distributed to ISNA’s partners, who have people working on-site in Haiti.

As of Jan. 23, $67,622 was collected. According to ISNA’s Web site, $15,000 is due to IR USA, another $15,000 to the Zakat Foundation, and $20,000 will go to the Islamic Medical Association of North America, one of ISNA’s essential organizations.

A group of young Muslim women in southern California also donated their time and art for a silent auction, called Arts for Haiti, to benefit the damaged country.

It started out with a message on Facebook by Tasbeeh Herwees, an 18-year-old journalism major, who in it said, “We all have something to give.”

Donations in the form of art were given for the event from all over the world. Calligraphy, jewelry, scarves, and Haiti bracelets and buttons were auctioned off Jan. 31 at Hawthorne masjid. Outside, a yard and bake sale were held.

Along with community members, Hawthorne Mayor Larry Guidi attended the event and purchased jewelry for his daughters.

Herwees said the occasion was fun, and not the usual art exhibition. “It was more of a social event that would benefit others,” she said.

The auction, yard and bake sale brought in almost $1,000 and, according to Herwees, the money will be donated to IR-USA.

Even those similarly shaken are giving resources to Haiti. Palestinians in Gaza offered  goods such as blankets, covers, food and milk for children, but Red Cross director was only able to accept financial donations because transferring goods out of the Strip is near impossible, Head of the Committee to Break the Siege Jamal Al-Khudary said, according to Haaretz.

“People may be astonished at our ability to collect donations from our people (in Gaza); we tell them that this is a humanitarian campaign and our people love life and peace,” Al-Khudary said, according to Haaretz.