Five months after January’s magnitude 7 earthquake, more than 1,300 settlements around the country house Haiti’s population of IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons). Aid agencies report that 1.6 million people still have not been able to return “home” as a result of the widespread destruction of dwellings across the country. Experts are predicting a busier-than-usual hurricane season for 2010, which causes heightened levels of concern as the plight of Haiti’s people remains bleak.

The rural village of Sous Savanne is located in the countryside near the city of Leogane – the epicenter of the earthquake. It is estimated that more than 80% of the dwellings in this region were destroyed on January 12th. Recent assessment trips to Haiti’s earthquake-affected regions have resulted in Hope Force pin-pointing this area as a prime focus for aid projects.  Hope Force has shipped more than 100 disaster relief tents for the village of Sous Savanne. We are pleased to say that the most recent information from the village indicates that some of the people have found interim housing with extended family and that this shipment may well address the majority of the unmet need.

• Their lightweight construction and strength.
• The large amount of light they let in.
• They are guaranteed to be leak proof.
• Poles on the outside provide the framework while the covering is underneath the frame. This prevents the poles from rubbing against the covering, thereby wearing holes in it.
• Emergency shelters are designed specifically with families in mind.
• The covering is manufactured in three layers which are heat bonded together. A “shingled” construction with the panels overlapping each other makes a totally waterproof and yet breathable shelter.
• It is UV-stabilized to withstand more than two years of full sun exposure.
• The white color of the covering diffuses the sun and provides 40% shade.

These are durable tents, designed for post-disaster situations and capable of lasting two years. This project will allow the inhabitants of this village to return to their own properties, as well as foster favorable health conditions.

After a recent trip to the region, Jack Minton noted, “Our focus right now is to address the issue of shelter, especially with the rainy season coming up. Our goal is to secure 300 tents. So much need is there, it’s hard to take it in. I don’t think we’re designed to absorb that type of destruction — and not just on the material side of things. When you see lives that are devastated as a result of something like this, it’s tragic. Certainly among the most vulnerable are the children and the elderly. In this particular community they are literally sleeping under sheets and sticks. Our goal is to be there in late June or early July.”

Please join us in a tangible response to the plight of these precious people. This is a clear and desperate need that, once met, will aid in the transition to a sense of normalcy for this community. These tents will provide interim dwellings as rebuilding gets underway and will help them get back on their own land, in a dry and sanitary environment.

Your prayers are vital to the success of our Haiti Shelter Project. Hope Force is assembling a distribution team with plans to be on location in August. Please pray for fast and efficient customs clearance of our shipment, effective collaboration with our in-country partners along with safety and good health for the team. HFI will also be exploring ways in which to continue to assist Sous Savanne with their ongoing recovery needs.