Haiti children in desperate need of food and water

On January 12, 2020 we will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the tragic earthquake in Haiti. 

We would like to share with you a few paragraphs from the REFLECTIONS ON THE END OF A DECADE IN HAITI, by Fr Rick Frechette, that summarize the long and terrible suffering of the people of Haiti during the last ten years.

Here in Haiti, a very tiny part of a world-wide narrative, we are closing ten years of profound suffering and tragedy.

The decade began for us with an earthquake so devastating, that it caused more death and destruction than the two atomic bombs the ended World War II, combined.

Then, before even a year passed, we were plagued with a relentless scourge of cholera. 

At our centers alone, we received over 100 people each day, for months, and then reduced numbers, for years.

As we dealt with these whirlwinds of pain and death, we were hit with a number of tropical storms and the massive Hurricane Matthew, which brought devastation in Southwest Haiti to two million people, their homes, and their farms.

Also, during this score of years, the value of Haitian currency slowly declined, and then more rapidly, such that by 2019, the gourde had lost two thirds of its value. 

Over the same period of the loss of buying power, it cost 20% more to stay alive.

As this poor and wounded nation struggled to deal with all of this, crime rose steadily, within institutions and on the streets, and finally chaos prevailed, as the whole country suffered violent public convulsions, that have shaken Haiti profoundly, for the last 17 months.

People openly ask, “Where are the voices to scream out against this terrible suffering? as the whole country suffered violent public convulsions, that have shaken Haiti profoundly, for the last 17 months.

People openly ask, “Where are the voices to scream out against this terrible suffering?

The country still lacks a drinking water distribution system, an essential asset for the survival of the local population. Families have to travel kilometers to reach rivers, which are often polluted, accessible water sources or buy water. Father Rick Frechette, first line physician and guide of NPH Haiti and the Saint Luc Foundation, and his team distribute 90,000 liters of water with 2 tank trucks every day, 6 days a week, donating them to the poorest families of the slums.  

Even with a minimal gesture you can achieve a great result, which has a concrete effect on the lives of many people.

Thank you for listening to the scream of the Haitian children.

We share the urgent appeal of Reinhart Köhler, President of NPH International, and we ask donors through GlobalGiving to support our program in Haiti. Thank you.

Dear Friends of the Extended NPH Family,
I am writing you today to share with you our deep concern for our NPH Family in Haiti and for the people of Haiti in general. Over the last year and a half, living conditions in Haiti have deteriorated resulting in prolonged and serious social unrest, protests, road blocks, and generalized violence. Yet, the international media has paid scant attention to a dire situation that is costing hundreds of lives and putting in jeopardy an entire nation.
This letter is not to explain the reasons for the protests, though I venture to say that the dire circumstances in which the Haitian people live would create the same protests in any other country. This message is to highlight the consequences of the upheaval especially for our children, staff, and volunteers.
The road blocks create a situation that results in shortages of fuel, food, and other essential supplies. At Kay St. Helene, we have food for seven more days. The hope is to be able to resupply the home when things are calmer and we can get through to the home; however, it is very difficult even to find food to purchase. And even if we find food and try to bring it to our children’s home there is always the possibility that with so many suffering hunger, a group will stop the vehicle and take the food.
Usually, we supply our home with water using water trucks. The trucks now cannot make it to the home. So our children walk three miles to a fountain to fetch water in gallon jugs and buckets and haul the water walking back to the home again three miles. The water needs to be treated with purification tablets which are now in short supply.
The only vehicles that can make it through the road blocks (but not always) are ambulances of which we own two. We use them to carry out the most urgent logistics moving essential staff to and from the hospital, and we do hope to acquire an additional ambulance to respond to the many situations requiring urgent assistance. The banks have not opened for three days and we do not know when we might have access to funds. So basically it is extremely difficult to find essential supplies; and the few we find are sold at a premium. Yet, we do not have enough cash to purchase the supplies because the banks are closed.
There are many other dreadful situations such as the inability to attend to medical emergencies, the piling up of unsanitary garbage, dead bodies in the morgue without space for additional bodies, no schooling, and loss of income due to inoperability of income producing programs. This situation holds true for every individual living in Haiti and any organization trying to fulfill its mission. Many of the Hermanos and Hermanas Mayores of the NPFS Family have approached us for help to support them and their families for all the same reasons.
Finally, the safety of everyone is a top priority, yet many of our staff expose themselves to danger because otherwise the harmful consequences to the children of NPFS and the patients of St. Damien would be immeasurable. We urgently need to increase the security services to our facilities to protect the children, patients, and staff as the desperation among the population grows with every day that the chaos continues.

Sincerely,
Reinhart Köhler, President