Catastrophic Earthquake
HELP US RESPOND TO THE RECENT CATASTROPHIC EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI.
A major earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude on the Richter scale hit Haiti January 12. The initial quake lasted about a minute, followed by strong 5.9 and 5.5 aftershocks. The epicenter of Haiti’s earthquake was six miles west of Carrefour, just outside the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
The full extent of loss of life or property damage is not yet known, but Bill Dawson, French Field Strategy Coordinator, emailed to say that the situation “is grave and urgent.”
“There are many injured all over the city. Major buildings, three and four stories, are down. … Neighbors who work for the UN report many injured, people carrying wounded through the streets,” Dawson said.
The population in the capital area is about 2 million people, living in dense urban communities, and they continue to experience significant aftershocks. Catastrophic casualties and damage are expected, as Haiti’s weak infrastructure is not prepared for this kind of disaster.
Our Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Disaster Response Teams are already on location beginning to help those in need. Here are some of the things you can do today:
- Pray. Prayer works. Prayer connects us to the heart of God.
- Give of your resources. You can help Nazarene Compassionate Ministries in Haiti respond to the needs around them. Donate here: http://www.ncm.org/projects/acm1204
- Prepare Crisis Care Kits. Use the following link to find the exact needs and all necessary instructions: Crisis Care Kits
- Your gift of $10 will provide beans and rice to feed a family for a week
- Your gift of $10 will provide 1 gallon of cooking oil
- Your gift of $60 will provide 100 gallons of clean bottled water
- Your gift of $100 or more will contribute to an overall disaster response
“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loves, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Colossians 3:12
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The Caribbean’s “continent of islands” sits in the middle of the Atlantic Hurricane Belt, making storms an ongoing part of life for most people in the region. Your gift will allow countries in the Caribbean to be ready to respond when the winds and rain come.
Hurricanes and tropical storms are especially hard on areas prone to flooding and mudslides and those where housing structures are unstable. During times of crisis, community members often turn to churches in search of shelter from the storms.
Caribbean Disaster Response is set up to allow local churches to provide immediate relief assistance (clean water, food, hygiene supplies, etc.) when disasters such as hurricanes and floods hit their communities, destroying homes, schools, crops, and livelihood. As churches reach out to their communities to meet physical and spiritual needs, they are in a position to continue to response to longer-term needs of those in their communities.
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