Hurricane Relief In Haiti: HOPEww Teams are on the scene

Responding to the devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew, HOPE worldwide has rushed to distribute lifesaving supplies of food, water and blankets to remote regions of Haiti. Our relief team managed to arrive in Les Cayes on October 9th with supplies to distribute. A more detailed assessment on the ground will supply important information on how we can best meet the immediate and long-term needs. A second relief team led by Wade Cook and Charles Ham arrived October 10th, bringing more supplies and further assessment resources to inform and enable HOPE worldwide as we assist the Haitian people.

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Picture: aerial mapping of damages in Les Cayes (source: PDC)

HOPE worldwide has rushed to distribute lifesaving supplies of food, water and blankets to the remote region. Our relief team managed to arrive in Les Cayes on October 9 with supplies to distribute. More detailed assessments on the ground will be supplying important information on how we can best meet the needs of the people. Another relief team led by Wade Cook and Charles Ham arrived today (October 10th), bringing more supplies and further assessment of the actual needs on the ground to enable HOPE worldwide to assist people more effectively.

One serious issue facing Haiti is the prevention of the secondary disaster risks of cholera and other contagious diseases that are due to poor sanitation and waste management. This issue was re-emphasized in the recent United Nations Global Health Cluster meeting in Geneva. HOPE worldwide has been a member of since 1996.

Learning from previous disaster relief and recovery efforts, we know the people of Haiti will need a lot of support from the international community. In the 2010 earthquake, HOPE worldwide not only helped provide relief for Haitians, but also rebuilt houses for families and provided programs for livelihood recovery. We are committed to stand by the people of Haiti and help communities recover and develop readiness for future disasters.

Please visit www.hopeww.org/donatedisaster to take part in our effort for the people of Haiti.

HOPE worldwide Haiti is currently assessing the damages left behind by the hurricane. We have nine partner churches in Haiti, five of them located in the southern region where the hurricane hit the hardest. Over 160 members live in that region, and many houses were damaged or completely destroyed.

The region of Les Cayes, where Hurricane Matthew came onshore, is one of the cities most devastated by the hurricane. Local radio reports say water was shoulder-high in parts of the village. Dozens of homes were severely damaged and others were swept away by raging flood waters.

“None of the over 30+ members are missing, but they are in grave need. Even the leaders of the church in Les Cayes, Volvick and Fleurette Timot, are now homeless,” said Lesley. ( Click here to see a video of the church leader’s home that was destroyed by the hurricane). “Please also pray for Varnel and Merry Joseph, and the 21 members in Les Irois, as we still have not heard from anyone in that village since Monday evening, as the communication systems in the area are completely shut down,” he said. As of this publication, communication with that village has not been restored.