Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike drenched Haiti during the last few weeks causing widespread flooding, massive mudslides and hundreds of fatalities.

L'ESTERE, Haiti – Residents of Haiti were already facing food shortages and rising inflation rates when triple natural disasters hit.

Hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike drenched Haiti during the last few weeks causing widespread flooding, massive mudslides and hundreds of fatalities.

To help those displaced by the floodwaters, Operation Blessing has teamed up with long-time German partner, Humedica, to provide disaster relief, medical care and food.

"In addition to the daunting health needs, the stranded survivors camped out in L'Estere have not eaten for days and are trapped by surrounding floodwater," said OBI president, Bill Horan. "So we're also getting enough food in there to feed 5,000 people for at least 5 days as well as water purification tablets."

Bridges are down and there is no way in or out by road. OBI-supported medical and hunger relief teams are working from Humedica's headquarters in the western city of St. Marc and must walk or float into L'Estere to serve those in need of aid.

"Clean drinking water is crucial," Horan added. "There's a big concern with widespread disease because of contaminated floodwater, so we want to pre-empt medical problems even after the waters have gone down."

A water purification system is being sent by world shipping giant, DHL and will arrive in-country on Friday. The unit can purify up to 10,000 gallons of water a day.

Bridges are down and there is no way in or out by road. OBI-supported medical and hunger relief teams are working from Humedica's headquarters in the western city of St. Marc and must walk or float into L'Estere to serve those in need of aid.

In addition, health kits are being flown into the region and are designed to meet the initial primary health care needs of a displaced population without medical facilities.

The kits contain sufficient medical supplies to support at least 10,000 people for approximately 3 months in crisis situations such as floods, droughts, earthquakes or armed conflict.

Kumar Periasamy, OBI's director of international disaster relief, is on-the-ground in Haiti and says, "There is a shortage of food and people are hungry. I saw several women today who put their hands over their stomach to indicate that they have not had food for some time. We will be working with local leaders tomorrow to distribute food to 5,000 people."

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward OBI's disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.

 

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