BY Cristina Everett
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, January 13th 2010, 11:11 AM
The devastating earthquake that left Haiti's capital in ruins Tuesday has hit too close to home for Wyclef Jean.
The singer, who was born in the Caribbean country, describes the magnitude-7.0 quake as a "natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced."
Believed to be the strongest quake in Haiti in more than 200 years, the trembler struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince at 4:53 p.m. Two powerful aftershocks measuring 5.9 and 5.5 soon followed, further damaging structures weakened by the initial quake.
The singer has sent out an urgent plea asking others to help his damaged homeland.
"I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now," Jean said in a statement.
"President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands 'ready to assist' the Haitian people. The U.S. Military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible," he added. "The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible."
Since establishing the non-profit Yele Haiti Foundation in 2004, Jean has been active in helping the charity to provide scholarships for the country's children. He has also worked with the United Nations World Food Programme to send food assistance to the island.
Jean is encouraging other to text "Yele" to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund or visit Yele.org and click "donate" to help.
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