ADRA focus on thousands of displaced survirors in Haiti

 

Church members and friends have donated over £25,000 to ADRA-UK in the last week in response to the emergency appeal for Haiti.

 

This will add to the £25,000 already pledged by ADRA-UK last week which is supporting an initial £620,000 (US$1m) relief effort on the ground in Haiti.  This is principally focused on 25,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) staying in temporary shelters on the campus of the Haitian Adventist University and the Adventist Hospital of Haiti in Carrefour, a neighbourhood in Port-au-Prince, where ADRA has setup a command centre.

 

"Thousands of people remain in makeshift camps where the food and sanitation situation is precarious," reports Richard Jaqua, an ADRA staff member who is helping to coordinate the logistics for ADRA's emergency response in Haiti.

On Monday, 18 January, ADRA distributed nearly 13,000 rations of high-energy nutritional biscuits donated by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in several sites in Port-au-Prince, primarily to the thousands of IDPs staying on the grounds of the university and hospital.  Each ration contains enough food for a person for five days.  The distribution of food aid is crucial as Jaqua reports that supplies in the capital's stores and marketplaces have become limited and extremely expensive.

Among ADRA's other primary concerns are the provision of clean drinking water, sanitation, and medical assistance to the group of displaced persons.

 

Already, ADRA, working with a team from Canada-based partner GlobalMedic, has set up a water distribution centre to serve the 25,000 displaced persons on the university campus, and three new water points in the area.  This will enhance ADRA's water distribution capacity significantly.

Due to limited sources of energy and battery supply, ADRA staff have had to find alternative means to generate enough power to operate the water systems.  In some cases, staff members report, motorcycles were used to power the units.

 

ADRA also plans to increase the number of water points in the region, providing 20 additional ones, and expects to distribute more water supplies provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  Already, beneficiaries are receiving thousands of water purification tablets. Each tablet can purify a litre of water in 20 minutes.

 

In addition, sanitation, which has already become critical among the thousands of IDPs, will likely improve with the initial construction of 60 latrines.

 

ADRA will distribute a shipment of 1,000 pounds of medical supplies received from International Aid, and medical supplies worth £9,000 donated by Heart to Heart International.  Other partners include Food for the Poor, which is working with ADRA to distribute medical and food supplies; Johanniter International, a non-profit association that provided medical supplies for hospital staff; GARSA, a Colombian rescue and relief group in partnership with ADRA Colombia; International Relief and Development (IRD); and donors in Puerto Rico.

 

To continue to improve the speed and fluidity of relief operations, ADRA will provide distribution training for its volunteers.  The procurement of additional food and medical supplies is ongoing.

 

ADRA-UK Office Manager, Valerie Austin is touched by the kinds of donations coming in.  She says, "one unemployed gentleman slipped £20 into my hands."  Another retired man gave her £50 from his food bill saying they needed it more than him.  Others are sending donations for as much as £1,000. Such donations, large or small, are still urgently needed and can be made online at <www.adra.org.uk> or by phone during office hours on 0870 4955808.  Cheques made payable to ADRA-UK can be sent to ADRA-UK, Stanborough Park, Watford, Herts, WD25 9JZ.  If possible, please gift aid your donation to maximise the help you are giving.

A selection of photos representing ADRA's work on the ground in Haiti can be seen on the BUC picture gallery, <www.adventist.org.uk>.

[John Torres ADRA/BUC News]

ADRA FOCUS ON THOUSANDS OF DISPLACED SURVIVORS IN HAITI

Church members and friends have donated over £25,000 to ADRA-UK in the last week in response to the emergency appeal for Haiti.

This will add to the £25,000 already pledged by ADRA-UK last week which is supporting an initial £620,000 (US$1m) relief effort on the ground in Haiti.  This is principally focused on 25,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) staying in temporary shelters on the campus of the Haitian Adventist University and the Adventist Hospital of Haiti in Carrefour, a neighbourhood in Port-au-Prince, where ADRA has setup a command centre.

 

"Thousands of people remain in makeshift camps where the food and sanitation situation is precarious," reports Richard Jaqua, an ADRA staff member who is helping to coordinate the logistics for ADRA's emergency response in Haiti.

On Monday, 18 January, ADRA distributed nearly 13,000 rations of high-energy nutritional biscuits donated by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in several sites in Port-au-Prince, primarily to the thousands of IDPs staying on the grounds of the university and hospital.  Each ration contains enough food for a person for five days.  The distribution of food aid is crucial as Jaqua reports that supplies in the capital's stores and marketplaces have become limited and extremely expensive.

Among ADRA's other primary concerns are the provision of clean drinking water, sanitation, and medical assistance to the group of displaced persons.

 

Already, ADRA, working with a team from Canada-based partner GlobalMedic, has set up a water distribution centre to serve the 25,000 displaced persons on the university campus, and three new water points in the area.  This will enhance ADRA's water distribution capacity significantly.

Due to limited sources of energy and battery supply, ADRA staff have had to find alternative means to generate enough power to operate the water systems.  In some cases, staff members report, motorcycles were used to power the units.

 

ADRA also plans to increase the number of water points in the region, providing 20 additional ones, and expects to distribute more water supplies provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).  Already, beneficiaries are receiving thousands of water purification tablets. Each tablet can purify a litre of water in 20 minutes.

 

In addition, sanitation, which has already become critical among the thousands of IDPs, will likely improve with the initial construction of 60 latrines.

 

ADRA will distribute a shipment of 1,000 pounds of medical supplies received from International Aid, and medical supplies worth £9,000 donated by Heart to Heart International.  Other partners include Food for the Poor, which is working with ADRA to distribute medical and food supplies; Johanniter International, a non-profit association that provided medical supplies for hospital staff; GARSA, a Colombian rescue and relief group in partnership with ADRA Colombia; International Relief and Development (IRD); and donors in Puerto Rico.

 

To continue to improve the speed and fluidity of relief operations, ADRA will provide distribution training for its volunteers.  The procurement of additional food and medical supplies is ongoing.

 

ADRA-UK Office Manager, Valerie Austin is touched by the kinds of donations coming in.  She says, "one unemployed gentleman slipped £20 into my hands."  Another retired man gave her £50 from his food bill saying they needed it more than him.  Others are sending donations for as much as £1,000. Such donations, large or small, are still urgently needed and can be made online at <www.adra.org.uk> or by phone during office hours on 0870 4955808.  Cheques made payable to ADRA-UK can be sent to ADRA-UK, Stanborough Park, Watford, Herts, WD25 9JZ.  If possible, please gift aid your donation to maximise the help you are giving.