The images are almost beyond belief, the damage and the suffering beyond comprehension. An earthquake gauged at 7.0, the first rumble striking Tuesday evening and lasting at least 35 seconds, destroyed an entire swath of Haiti, particularly much of its capital and largest city – Port-au-Prince.

The scenes have been horrific. Bodies are lying strewn all over the city and outlying areas. Journalists and cable TV news outlets are using terms that go beyond even the usual reporting of natural disasters: “Haiti In Ruins” reads one headline. “Devastating Catastrophe” says the caption on CNN. Each hour the situation feels grimmer.

The death toll is sure to reach into the tens of thousands, and perhaps much higher. Nothing can prevent a natural disaster such as an earthquake. However, in the Haiti earthquake lays a devastating manmade component to the tragedy. The building collapses and magnitude of deaths are much worse due to substandard design and shoddy construction materials and practices in Haiti, as The New York Times reported in its Jan. 13 edition (“Flawed Building Likely a Big Element”).

What Type of Rebuilding?

As we watch in shock from miles away, so many of us seek to walk in the footsteps of the Haitian people, feeling with heavy hearts their suffering and empathizing with loved ones awaiting word in other places around the world. We long to do something immediately to help in the rescue and recovery, and that is critical.

However, we can also put our voices, actions, and resources toward making sure that Haiti be rebuilt in a far more safe and sustainable way. This isn’t pie-in-the-sky or frivolous thinking on the fourth day after an earthquake – this is necessary to save lives in the future. What if these were the homes and buildings in our neighborhoods?

In the Times article, reporter Henry Fountain wrote that “substandard design, inadequate materials, and shoddy construction practices likely contributed to the collapse of many buildings in the earthquake.” Cameron Sinclair, executive director of the nonprofit group Architecture for Humanity, told the Times that the design and construction in Haiti, a country where many live in dire poverty, are far worse than other developing countries to which he has traveled.

Buildings Like “Pancakes”

In Haiti, no real building standards exist. Construction short-cuts are legion. Contractors often cut their costs, for instance, by adding more sand into the concrete, making it far weaker. Sinclair cited houses where builders constructed concrete roofs on top of low-grade blocks, telling the Times, “Then it’s just pancakes.” In late 2008, after a school collapsed, the mayor of Port-au-Prince estimated that 60 percent of the capital city’s buildings were poorly built and unsafe, according to an Associated Press report.

Beyond the crucial importance of donating to international groups performing rescue and channeling aid to Haiti, you can support effective long-term reconstruction. One key way is to donate to and support the work of Architecture for Humanity, which is a nonprofit design services firm. The group taps a large global network of architects and others to help address critical needs for housing and other facilities in post-disaster situations and humanitarian crises. Among Architecture for Humanity’s projects worldwide, its work was integral in designing and developing hundreds of residences post-Katrina in New Orleans.

The group, headed by Sinclair, was already working in Haiti and has been partnering with a nongovernmental association in the Caribbean nation, Yele Haiti. Following the earthquake, Architecture for Humanity is now involved in surveying the damage, launching an appeal for supplying design and construction professionals, and organizing and supporting efforts to build earthquake-resistant structures. (You can read about Architecture for Humanity’s Haiti reconstruction initiative here and here.) As the group points out, too often following crises well-intentioned volunteers rebuild structures in unsafe ways.

With each passing hour, the disaster in Haiti becomes more apparent and visible to those outside of Haiti. It’s a catastrophe that rends the hearts of people all over the world. Yet we can walk with the people in Haiti not only in our tangible ways such as donations and volunteering but in spirit through prayer and meditation. Every thought and every prayer of compassion can help to relieve and heal the suffering of others, whether it is those around us or those afar living through the horror and trauma of Haiti after the earthquake.

To find out more about Haiti donations and post-earthquake information:

New York Times: Haiti Disaster Relief – How to Contribute

Architecture for Humanity: Haiti Quake Appeal – Long-Term Reconstruction

Scientists: Haiti Must Prepare for More Massive Quakes

Twitter Real-Time Results for #haiti