February 15, 2010: Several weeks after Haiti’s deadly earthquake, relief agencies are focusing on emergency and transitional shelter for tens of thousands of Haitians who lost homes and livelihoods in the January 12 catastrophe. Construction of temporary latrines and bathing areas remain at the top of the priority list along with debris removal, particularly in Port-au-Prince. With support from the international community, the nation is exerting tremendous efforts to restore normal business and government operations in the wake of the capital city’s destruction. At least 700,000 people are displaced just in Port-au-Prince and remain in need of basic services from clean water to reliable shelter. 

Haitian officials recently revised the estimate of earthquake-affected population numbers from approximately 3 million people to more than 3.7 million people. The USNS Comfort continues to treat Haitian patients and currently is caring for 200 patients in the ship’s onboard hospital. Click here to read about HFI’s patients aboard the Comfort. 

Despite the seemingly grim surroundings amidst the destruction and loss, the resilience of the Haitian people showed forth this past weekend during a time of National Prayer and Fasting. Dr. Tim Browne texted this video link he made last weekend where thousands of Haitians filled the streets for prayer, fasting and worship. The energetic singing of a people who remain hopeful in the face of suffering brought tears to many eyes.    

Dr. Tim shares this moving story from one of Haiti’s hospitals, “We met a mother with her one-year-old baby and she described how she had to dig him out from the rubble. She has five children – one of them was killed instantly in the quake. She dug her baby from the debris only to find that one arm had been severed and the other crushed, which also had to be amputated. Fitting children with bilateral upper extremity prosthesis is difficult at best, even in the US, as they must be refitted and changed almost yearly as the child grows. 

“Because the mother understood what life will be like for her child in Haiti she asked one of our team members, Craig Snow, if he would adopt the child and take him home. At first I wondered how a mother could do that. Then my heart was filled with compassion for the mother as I understood her great love of her baby – she would sacrifice her mother's role for the sake of the child’s welfare. This one has hit us all pretty hard.”

 Haiti’s Minister of Health recently reported that population movement after the earthquake has affected all areas of Haiti. These areas are being overwhelmed and do not have the capacity to serve those who are flocking to the rural areas. As a result, the need for primary health care teams is increasing. Rural areas are completely underserved and left with no access to vital health care services.  

International aid organizations in Haiti agree that sanitation needs to be linked to the health care response. There is now a rise in respiratory infections, malaria and diarrhea. Agencies who are willing to make a commitment to serve in Haiti for at least three months are viewed as the best investment as they will benefit from the productive factors involved with continuity and established presence.   

Our efforts continue to focus on reaching individuals, wherever they may be, in need of support. As the stories of Haiti’s loss and calamity fade from the nightly news, those who have been impacted continue to suffer severe hardship. Disasters change lives forever. Restoring homes and a sense of normalcy takes time. Often the result is despair, confusion and frustration. Hope Force responds with compassionate action to ease emotional suffering, meet physical needs, and offer the ministry of presence: being there to listen, comfort and walk alongside those in crisis. 

Hope Force operates on the premise that effectiveness cannot always be measured by how much and how big. In some cases, slowing our world down and focusing upon the desperate need of just one person is the most productive thing we can do. This philosophy of mission is resonating with more and more people across the country as exhibited by the swelling numbers of people who are attending our HFI Training Intensive courses to prepare for service. Our Orange County conference this week has grown exponentially in size and has 100 participants, as well as a waiting list. Click here to find out about upcoming training opportunities in your region. We hope to welcome you to the ranks of Hope Force Reservists soon!