Haitian people are rising above the forced homelessness, insatiable hunger and ever-rising unemployment, unleashed by the devastating earthquake of Jan 12, as a number of faith based organizations work in and around Port-au-Prince to assist those impacted by the crisis.
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People stand in line to for a once-daily hot food distribution at a tent encampment in the Petionville section of Port-au-Prince. Water distribution, sanitation and shelter material distribution at the camp, as well as camp management training and distribution of health kits, are projects of Lutheran World Federation and other faith-based organizations.
Credit: LWR/ACT: Jonathan Ernst
Recent surveys of the disaster zone hit by the earthquake, which claimed the lives of thousands and made more than three million people homeless, hungry, and unemployed, showed tireless efforts of the organizations, remaining on-ground, committed to serving the quake's victims, until the country is on its feet.
In the lengthening shadows of evening, Leogane, a community near Port-au-Prince, is grateful to the help being provided by different organizations as is evident by construction work being undertaken by the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC).
Bill Adams, Director of Disaster Response Services for the CRWRC, said that the organization recently began construction on 900 transitional shelters for Haiti earthquake survivors, noting that before the CRWRC came in, many earthquake survivors were living in shelters made of bed sheets and scrap lumber.
"Many of these families lost everything when their homes collapsed during the earthquake. With the donations we've received, we'll be able to do a fair amount. We're going to be there long term," said Adams.
"The transitional shelters are earthquake and hurricane resistant and will provide safe housing for the next months and years," said Ken Little, CRWRC Senior Relief Project Manager.
"The permanent homes will be built to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes and will be a two-room shelter that can be added to in the future as the family's needs and income allow."
Work will soon begin on an additional 720 permanent homes to replace those severely damaged or destroyed by the disaster, the organization added.
While the Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) have also distributed shelter supplies, they have focused more on providing food needs to quake victims.
More than 217 tons of food has been distributed, including rice, beans, pasta, sugar, canned milk, oatmeal, and much more.
The organization has a tent camp at College St. Pierre, which once housed 2,500 people, but now continues to provide daily meals for more than 800 people. The Diocese of the Dominican Republic has worked with ERD to bring two truckloads of these supplies into Haiti each week.
Malaika Kamunanwire, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, said ERD and its partners have helped secure access to clean water for the residents of the College St. Pierre tent camp and twelve communities in the surrounding area. Bottled and bagged water was distributed to those at College St. Pierre immediately after the quake.
More recently, the camp's pump and cistern have been repaired and are now a reliable source of water. The ERD has also delivered emergency water purification systems to twelve communities in throughout Haiti.
SOURCE: Disaster News - Sandie Garcia | Tejinder Singh
