It has been a week and a half since the earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale devastated the capital city of Port au Prince and several other cities and towns. So far, some 75,000 bodies have been recovered and buried in mass graves with thousands of others beneath the rubble. The international community has responded quickly and well, but with the limited infrastructure left, getting the aid out has been slow. The last few days have seen quite some improvements in the process, and we are grateful for every small advance. The people are desperate. News reports today indicate that some two to four hundred thousand persons are on the move away from the capital to avoid the stench and threat of disease from decaying remains and lack of sanitation. In the meantime, efforts are underway to construct several tent cities to house the some two million displaced by the quake. Recovery and reconstruction will be slow and tedious because of the extremely poor conditions that existed prior to the earthquake, and the further severe limitations in its aftermath.

There are no descriptive terms that would do justice to the needs. Suffice it to say that in the face of such natural disasters, everyone who can must do something. Haiti has been a country with a high orphan population due to early parental deaths. Several orphanages were destroyed or severely damaged during the quake and many children died, but there are also a whole new set of orphans from the quake itself. Recent church reports from our Overseer of Haiti indicate that several children and at least two staff members of the children’s home died along with some 80 church members, 60 of whom were killed in one church building at a place called San Fils. An entire choir which was in rehearsal was wiped out. Thousands of members are homeless, without food or water, and hundreds are on the grounds of the church’s compound seeking help. A pre-fab building along with workers, construction materials and equipment are on the way over land from the Dominican for the purpose of temporarily housing the children from our orphanage. Along with them are three physicians from our church to provide medical assistance to the children and other needy Haitians. They are also taking in antibiotics and other medical supplies. Our church has a strong presence in the Dominican Republic, and they are doing everything they can to help. They are our best over-land contact source at the moment. May God bless and prosper their 8-hour journey. It goes without saying that whatever can be done must be done and done as fast as possible.

Adrian L. Varlack Sr.
Church of God of Prophecy
Center for Biblical Leadership liaison to Central America, and the English, French and Spanish Caribbean

Note: This article is a compilation of information gathered from various sources and from the author’s personal knowledge of Haiti.

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