Sheltering Vulnerable People Affected by Extreme Weather By Colombia and Costa Rica Relief Team (Originally in Spanish)
On September 24, 2010, Tropical Storms Matthew and Nicole struck the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and took the lives of at least five people, injured dozens of others, tore off roofs, uprooted trees, and brought down power lines, while damaging or completely destroying approximately 8,000 tents that had been serving as temporary shelter for some of the 1.3 million people rendered homeless since the earthquake. About three weeks later, floods triggered by Hurricane Tomas claimed at least 12 more lives, after rivers burst their banks and washed through homes built in ravines near the capital city. Two of those who succumbed were children, buried in a mudslide at a post-quake refugee camp in Carrefour, where the earth under the makeshift settlements turned into spongy mud and lakes. Officials and aid groups working on reconstruction projects were on the alert and had dug drainage ditches around the camps as well as cleared canals in efforts to avoid further flooding. With deep condolences and prayers, Supreme Master Ching Hai provided a US$15,000 relief fund and sent a relief team formed by our Association members from Colombia and Costa Rica to help the suffering families who were in desperate need of food and shelter. On October 13, the team travelled to Port-au-Prince and delivered food to 850 grateful families. They returned on November 15 with an additional US$30,000 relief fund from Master plus a US$5,000 contribution from a few of our Centers in the United States and purchased 305 quality “3 season” tents that are designed to accommodate more than four people and offer protection in harsh conditions with maximum ventilation. During both relief operations, the team received warmhearted assistance from the Director of the Santo Domingo Civil Defense in the Dominican Republic, Mr. Luis Reyes, as well as Pastor Guillermo Ezequiel Batista, his wife Yaniurka Mosquera and members of the “International Evangelical Organization for Integral Development in Haiti.” The recipients were extremely happy to receive the timely aid. They said many beautiful things like, “Master, you are the best Angel in this world. When my family was hungry, you sent us food, and now when my family is cold because of losing our tent, you sent a new one for us. Merci, merci, we love you.” “Thank you Master. This tent is like the temple of God: the bad things will stay outside, the mosquitoes and the rain can’t come in!” Pastor Guillermo Ezequiel Batista from Cuban Missionary and founder of the “International Evangelical Organization for Integral Development in Haiti” wrote the following sincere thank you letter to Master:
Our appreciation, Haitian officials and United Nations personnel, for your caring efforts to help the disaster victims. With Heaven’s grace, may the Haitian people be protected in their recovery from this storm as we strive to eliminate such devastation through our eco-stabilizing endeavors.
Expenditures by Supreme Master Ching Hai and Her International Association for the Storm and Hurricane Relief Work in Haiti
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