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Helping Haitians Recover
The 7.0 earthquake that devastated Haiti on January 12th cried out for an unprecedented humanitarian response and longer-term recovery and development assistance. With years of experience in Haiti and a passionate commitment to the well-being of its people, Episcopal Relief & Development immediately answered the call.
Episcopal Relief & Development was well-positioned to do so because of its longstanding partnership with the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, the largest in the Western Hemisphere and one of the most vibrant institutions in the country.
Nevertheless, the challenge was unprecedented in many ways, not only because of the scope of human suffering and the destruction of homes and buildings, but also due to direct damage to the church. Churches were destroyed and many of the diocese’s 255 schools were hard hit, including the Holy Trinity complex of schools and St. Vincent School for Handicapped Children. Tragically, many parishioners died in these collapses. Even Bishop Jean Zaché Duracin was not spared — his wife was injured and their home razed.
Despite their personal hardship and suffering, diocesan clergy, staff and activists leapt into action — with financial, material, technical and staff support from Episcopal Relief & Development — to help the Haitian people survive and recover from this catastrophe.
Within hours, roughly 3,000 earthquake survivors congregated on a field adjoining a diocesan primary school that collapsed, College Ste. Pierre. Bishop Duracin led the effort to improve conditions at the makeshift camp and ensure the residents’ safety and well-being.
Episcopal Relief & Development’s initial efforts involved organizing food and medical supply shipments for diocesan distribution, conducting air drops to isolated rural communities and parishes, and providing satellite telephones and solar-powered chargers to ensure full communication and coordination.
In the weeks that followed, Episcopal Relief & Development turned its attention to assisting the Diocese of Haiti in areas not reached by other international relief organizations, which are focusing on Port-au-Prince and its immediate environs. The hard-hit mountainous region between Léogâne and Jacmel, located south and west of the capital and closer to the earthquake’s epicenter, has been a main concern for relief. Efforts include providing needed food, installing water filters to ensure clean drinking water and sending out mobile clinics to care for the injured. Episcopal Relief & Development is also helping hundreds of small farmers get ready for the upcoming planting season. This is especially important to restoring food self-sufficiency. Since the harvest is at least six months away, continued food aid will be critical.
Another aim of Episcopal Relief & Development’s recovery aid is to help strengthen local economies. Whenever possible we buy food, supplies and materials from local sources, and we hire from the Haitian community for the recovery work, rather than relying on volunteers.
In all of these efforts, the Haitian people are once again proving themselves to be paragons of resilience and resourcefulness. They are leading and implementing the recovery efforts, directing where and what type of aid is needed the most, with Episcopal Relief & Development providing resources, training and technical support. Their spirit amid one of the worst natural disasters in modern history provides continual inspiration to the diocesan staff and Episcopal Relief & Development officials toiling tirelessly on the ground.
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