While the international community rallies to meet urgent needs — from food, water and medical services to transportation and security, relief agencies are moving quickly to build the financial resources that will be required to fund the massive effort. But before aid can reach those most in need, the infrastructure for delivering the aid must be repaired. Military teams from other countries have already begun establishing communications, transport and security services — critical needs in a country where government offices and basic infrastructure were destroyed by the most powerful earthquake in 200 years.
According to Haiti’s prime minister, the death toll among Port au Prince’s 3 million inhabitants could top 100,000.
What you do not know is that Haiti has a significant Christian presence. The Florida Baptist Convention has started 890 new churches in the past five years. Much of the ongoing relief work in Haiti relates and connects to the church. The best relief would be to partner with Christian organizations and let them give out the physical relief with the spiritual relief of the Gospel.
To that end, we are recommending two organizations through which donations may be made. Samaritan’s Purse, better known for Operation Christmas Child, has partnered with mission hospitals in Haiti for more than 30 years. Already they plan to deliver 3,000 shelters to Haiti immediately, in addition to medical supplies, with several hundred more shelters being delivered each week. Southern Baptist Disaster Relief will have evaluation teams in Haiti this weekend. Water purification, meals and clean-up tend to be their specialty and their presence will remain for many months in the future. Training and mission opportunities are available to us through SBC Disaster Relief.
We have included on-line donation links to these two organizations below. Additionally, any money given toward this relief effort on Sundays will be forwarded to either of these two agencies.
Haiti Disaster Relief Donation links:
