Celebrities Appeal for Haiti Relief in Televised Fundraising Concert

22 January 2010

In this image released by Hope For Haiti Now, Wyclef Jean performs at 'Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief,' 22 Jan 2010, in New York

Celebrities lent their star power to help the people of Haiti in a telethon Friday that originated in Los Angeles, New York, London and Haiti. The concert was broadcast in the United States and Canada, and seen by hundreds of millions of international viewers on cable and satellite channels, and the Internet.

Alicia Keys set the tone for the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. Against a backdrop of grim images of the January 12th earthquake, she made a musical call for help for the people of Haiti.

The fundraiser was organized by actor George Clooney, who spoke of the suffering caused by the devastating earthquake, which is thought to have killed about 200,000 people.

"This is an opportunity to help a neighbor in need, in desperate need, and to do it with swiftness, expertise, generosity, and love," he said.

Hollywood stars recited dramatic tales of survivors and rescue workers. Leonardo DiCaprio told of a doctor from the medical charity Partners in Health, which is one of the beneficiaries of the telethon. Like many relief workers in the disaster-stricken region, DiCaprio says the doctors of this group face a shortage of supplies and need to improvise.