Update 8/31: At present, the death toll is over 2,200 persons, with over 12,000 injured. Moravians in the capital city of Port-au-Prince have already sent teams into Jacmel and Anse de Nau to provide emotional and spiritual support, food, and materials to those in need. The Moravian church buildings in those villages are heavily damaged, and with homes destroyed, most people are sleeping in the streets or vacant properties. To date, the BWM has sent $17,500 to Haiti thanks to the generous donations received for our MDR fund. Special thanks to the Armando Rusindo Mission Foundation for their partnership in this effort.
On August 14, a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit southwestern Haiti. At present, the death toll is over 1,400 persons with over 5,000 injured. To make matters worse, tropical storm Grace passed over this same area on Tuesday, August 17, with winds and heavy rain causing flooding and mudslides, which has only slowed the emergency response. These events come on top of the crushing poverty, political unrest, and gang violence that have plagued the country for many years.
Haiti is a Mission Area of the Moravian Church with a dozen congregations and is jointly supervised by the Eastern West Indies and Jamaica Provinces.
We have heard from Haitian-Moravian Pastor Vilès Dorsainvil, and he gives us the following account:
“There are 2 Moravian churches that were affected by the earthquake. One is in Jacmel, and the other is Anse de Nau in the Grand Anse Department. These churches are damaged, and the brothers and sisters from those churches are now in the street looking for shelter. The worse part of this scenario is that Hurricane Grace is heading the same direction. This is a dire situation for folks in this part of the Island.”
The BWM is currently seeking to wire funds to our brothers and sisters in Haiti to help them purchase emergency supplies. You can help to support all Moravian disaster relief efforts by donating online at http://moravianmission.org/give/ (click on the green “Give” button) or by sending your donations to: Board of World Mission, 1021 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018. Please indicate that your gift is for “MDR”.
Canadians may send donations to: Moravian Church in Canada, 600 Acadia Drive SE, Calgary, AB T2J 0B8. Interac e-Transfer donations may be sent to [email protected]. In the comments section, please mark this donation as “MDR” (Moravian Disaster Response) and include your name and address to receive a tax receipt.
