It’s Time by Garry McDonald

AID Director, \”This is a body blow to Haiti.\”

United Nations Logistics Cluster Haiti Cyclones

After four deadly storms deluged all ten departments, states, in Haiti international help is on the ground.  The USS Kearsarge, aircraft carrier, with 8 helicopters and two amphibious vehicles is docked in Gonaives.  Reportedly the mission is frustrated that there is no place to land in Gonaives. 

Gonaives is Haiti’s fourth largest city with 400,000 inhabitants.  Located at the base of deforested mountains, Gonaives becomes the clogged drain for water rushing from the mountains to the seaside where the primitive city lies.  In 2004, Tropical Storm Jeanne caused such rapid flash flooding she claimed 3000 Haitian lives in the city of Gonaives alone. 

The Haitian government has failed to maintain or upgrade the colonial drainage in and around Gonaives; nor have they instituted any reforestation project.  Though missionaires and development projects plant millions of trees a year in Haiti, their work is thwarted by the failure of the Haitian government to protect their new plantings with proper legislation.  Peasants allow their animals to graze untied, destroying new trees and they burn fields to plant and fires ravage the new trees.  Without government legislation to protect the reforestation projects and government implementation of a country wide reforestation project, Haiti will continue to be denuded and flood during rainy seasons.

The United States has committed military manpower and $10 million dollars to disaster relief in Haiti.  Canada has committed $5 million and is considering sending in military assistance.  The UN is requesting $105 million for the disaster relief. 

Individual charities and Christian missions will work long after the government relief is spent.  But whatever is given is futile if the Haitian government does not meet its responsibility to its citizenry and educate the population.  Graft and corruptution created a worse case scenario in Haiti this past month when four storms took their toll on the already third poorest country in the world.  No one was evacuated from the flood zones, and now 600,000 people are displaced from their tin and mud shacks, fragile constructions in the best of weather. 

Over 300,000 of the affected are under age 18, and 75% of all Haitian population is illiterate.  More product of the government’s failure to care for its population.

Joel and I have been missionaries in Haiti since 1975.  You can learn more about us at our website www.HaitiForChrist.net  Our mission is receiving cash donations to be distributed in Haiti for the rebuilding of homes and lives.  Donations mailed to Haiti for Christ, Post Office Box 87, Franklin, VA 23851 are acknowledged and tax deductible.  Thank for remembering Haiti in your prayers and your giving.

USS Kearsarge in Gonaives Haiti with 8 Helicopters

After days of no food, no water, 6 foot deep flood waters and mud; Haiti is finally getting some relief.  Gonaives, Sainte Marc, Hinche, Cabaret all affected by back to back hurricanes, Fay, Gustave and Ike.  These cities represent over 600,000 people, displaced and homeless; half of these are children.  The relief will be too late for many of them.

Primitive, unmaintained roads and bridges were washed out early by the storms; prohibiting distribution of aid.  Fear of riots, reportedly, stopped the UN from immediately distributing 33 tons of relief delivered yesterday in Gonaives. 

Meanwhile Haitians are walking for miles through mud and contaminated flood water, hoping to find food and water. Not only have thousands of mud and tin shacks been washed away with their inhabitants, but untold numbers of livestock have been swept away.  Cadavers of both remain as yet undiscovered in the slowly receding waters, spreading disease and rendering wells useless. 

Haiti is an agrarian society and the economic impact of destroyed crops and lost animals will be felt into next year.  As will the malaria epidemic to follow.

The 8 US helicopters in place will assist in food distribution but what Haiti really needs is a miracle.  The current disaster is a repeat of 2004 when 3000 people were killed in Tropical Storm Jeanne.  Colonial drainage necessary to protect the region from flooding has been neglected by the Haitian government.  Filled with garbage and built over in some places the clogged canals allow for the deadly flooding. 

Deforested mountains surrounding Gonaives, Hinche and Sainte Marc funnel heavy rains into these cities.  The Haitian government has failed to legislate in favor of reforestation projects or to implement one themselves. 

Without government supported reforestation and government sponsored reconstruction of drainage, the Haitian cycle of natural disaster from tropical storms will continune over and over.  Haiti needs your prayers for a divine intervention, a miracle.

Dear friend,

Yours and His for Haiti,