On current indications, the amount Americans will give to relief efforts in Haiti could surpass the $1.9 billion they gave to assist victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami, which until now has stood as a record for donations to a disaster outside the United States. Given that the US is undergoing economic hard times, the size of the response has surprised many.
其他人也用尽一切方式 —— 不管是修指甲还是洗车 —— 来筹集善款。根据最近所得到的数字，美国人对海地地震的捐助金额将超过其在 2004 年南亚海啸时援助受难者的 19 亿美元，而这 19 亿美元一直以来都是美国捐助国外灾害的一个纪录。考虑到美国现在依然处于经济困局之中，这一回应的规模令许多人都感到吃惊。