Some Heart-breaking Facts About Haiti . . . and How Samaritan's Purse is Bringing Hope to Haiti

Just over a year ago the ground began to shake in Haiti when a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck this island nation. The world's attention riveted to Haiti with 24 hour news coverage. We all rejoiced when survivors were found in the rubble and grieved with the people of Haiti as the staggering death count rose to over 300,000. Then, as so often happens, the world's attention focused elsewhere . . . but the devastation in Haiti is still apparent nearly everywhere you look. The people who survived the earthquake now dealing with the devastation that shakes their lives as they are faced with a cholera epidemic. So where do things stand in Haiti? What are their needs? How can we - and the children in our churches - help?


Let's consider a few facts about Haiti (from Samaritan's Purse) -

• Before the earthquake . . . 
• nearly half the population of Haiti was illiterate.
• only 40% of the people had access to basic health care.
• 90 percent of the children of Haiti were trying to survive while fighting water-borne diseases and intestinal parasites

• When the earthquake hit . . . 
• hundreds of thousands of people needed help, but hospitals and police stations had collapsed and firefighters, police, doctors, emergency personnel were among those who were killed, wounded and in need of help.
• over one million people - one out of every six Haitians - are homeless.
• six out of every seven Haitians are unemployed.

• Within 24 hours of the earthquake Samaritan's Purse . . . 
• had people on the ground in Haiti offering help and hope to the Haitian people.
• has helped more than 500,000 people.
• has provided more than 52,000 people with transitional housing by building 10,436 family shelters in 13 communities and constructed five community shelters in shelter communities.

• In the last year Samaritan's Purse has . . . 
• established three emergency cholera treatment centers including the construction of a 200-bed medical facility in Cite Soleil.
• distributed more than 500,000 cholera prevention and treatment pamphlets in susceptible communities.
• installed 20 water filters in at-risk communities, each capable of providing 10,000 gallons of clean water daily.
• removed 100,766 cubic meters of rubble to hep prepare sites for rebuilding.
• employed more than 6,000 Haitians to assist with rubble removal and shelter construction.
•  taught income-generating skills to 489 women through the Women's Community Learning Group in Cite Soleil.

• In the coming days and years, Samaritan's Purse will -
• continue to provide food, water, shelter, job training, medical and cholera response and even assistance in creating home gardens for hungry families. 
• build more shelters and permanent schools, working through church partners.
• collect and distribute more than 250,000 Operation Christmas Child gift boxes and involve thousands of children in The Greatest Journey discipleship program to give hope to the future of Haiti. 

We will look tomorrow at some ways we can "Put Feet to Their Faith" and equip our children to help make a difference in the lives of children and families in Haiti!