Seldom does one watch a lead news story on Middle Eastern satellite television that does not offer a steady rotating stream of images of death, destruction, and devastation from places like Gaza, Fallujah, or Kabul. These past few days, however, although the images were familiar, they were from Haiti, and the devastation was not man-made.

Large networks such as Al Jazeera rushed to send their crews to Port-au-Prince, and the vast majority of news satellite networks operating in the region have been competing to update their viewers about the devastation and human agony in this tiny Caribbean country, but à la Middle East ...it had to be about more than just Haiti.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, Middle Eastern television networks like their counterparts in the U.S. focused on the rescue efforts and finding survivors. Reporters on the ground struggled to convey the destruction and the magnitude of the catastrophe that inflicted the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation. But it only took two days before the images of a devastated Haiti were juxtaposed with those of destruction in Gaza and Iraq.

"These images of Port-au-Prince remind me of Gaza," said a presenter on the Iranian Al Alam TV. The report showed a street in Port-au-Prince with collapsed concrete-block homes, then flashed back to a concrete building in Rafah which was completely destroyed last January by rockets fired from Israeli jets.

Meanwhile, Israeli television stations have been airing daily updates of Israeli humanitarian efforts in Haiti. Images of a five-month-old Haitian baby boy being nursed at an Israeli field hospital in Port-au-Prince were looped endlessly. IBA television aired segments of a report prepared by CNN's Elizabeth Cohen marveling over Israel's quickness in setting up a field hospital.

"It's all propaganda," said an analyst on Nile TV from Cairo. "They're willing to travel ten-thousand kilometers to deliver a baby in Haiti, but won't allow food and medicine to cross 100 meters into Gaza where children are dying...it's all propaganda."

Hamas-run Al Aqsa TV did not waste anytime to show solidarity with the "Haitian Brothers," as the reporter narrated a video package showing Palestinians in Gaza collecting aid for Haiti.

"The residents of Gaza, who are themselves dependent on aid as a result of the Israeli blockade that deprives them of food, medicine and other basic necessities, are willing to donate goods such as milk and blankets to Haiti," the broadcast continued.

Meanwhile, Dubai, which has been recently a subject of criticism for its extravagance while piling up debt pledged to provide immediate assistance to 200,000 children in Haiti through international partners. Dubai TV aired a report showing a plane being loaded with a hundred tons of food and supplies heading to Port-au-Prince, a gift from the Emirate. More on the way, the report promised.

Arab countries, especially the oil-rich ones, have been criticized in Western media for not doing enough to help the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. In reality, many of these countries have already either pledged or sent their support to the devastated nation. Jordan TV showed a report about Jordanian medics heading to Haiti...but this was not reported on CNN.

On the Lebanese channel, New TV, a commentator criticized the United States for rushing to save lives in Haiti while waging two wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq, causing the death of more than one million civilians, according to him.

"Oh! The hypocrisy," he lamented.

Article first published on the Huffington Post

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In Haiti, rescue workers are scrambling to save lives in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that caused widespread devastation in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. As aid agencies work within the critical 48-hour window to provide medical attention and to find survivors trapped in the rubble, the death toll estimates at this point are ranging widely. The Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN that deaths could number in the hundreds of thousands, and the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon declared a "major humanitarian emergency." According to the secretary general's statement, the U.N. headquarters in Haiti was destroyed in the quake, and many of its staff remain unaccounted for.

As today's sun rose on scenes of utter destruction in Port-au-Prince, the terrible reality of this humanitarian disaster became more clear. How can you help? Medical relief organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, International Medical Corps, Partners in Health, and Direct Relief International are among the many responding directly to the crisis. CNN and MSNBC have expanded lists of organizations providing relief on the ground. The U.S. State Department suggests that "for those interested in helping immediately, simply text "HAITI" to "90999" and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill." Musician Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund is also taking donations for the earthquake relief operation. Finally, if you are interested in volunteering firsthand in Haiti, check out Idealist.org's article on disaster relief volunteering to learn more. We encourage you to add more suggestions to the comment section! Haiti needs our help.

With thoughtful insight into the devastation that struck Haiti yesterday, Link TV board member Danny Glover spoke with our friends at GRITtv today to discuss steps forward for the Haitian capital. Glover points out that in this great moment of internationalism, the U.S. has the opportunity to rebuild its relationship with Haiti, and he voices a warning that disasters like this will inevitably strike again as climate change continues. This GRITtv clip also includes a harrowing interview with Marie St. Cyr, a prominent AIDS activist with family in Haiti.

More blog posts on Haiti:

• In the Aftermath of the Haitian Earthquake, What You Can Do
• Ten Sources of Information on Haiti