It’s been over two months since the massive earthquake rocked Haiti, killing nearly a quarter of a million people and leaving a million more struggling for survival. Thanks to God’s help and the generosity of His people, we have been able to minister to the urgent needs of more than 350,000 Haitians.

Samaritan’s Purse teams are continuing to distribute food to thousands of destitute families, and our water systems are purifying as much as 200,000 gallons of water daily for thirsty communities. The day after the quake, we began sending in medical personnel to serve at a hospital run by our long-time ministry partner Baptist Haiti Mission, and our volunteer doctors worked tirelessly for weeks, treating the badly wounded and sick. We also reopened a damaged clinic on the grounds of a church that serves in Haiti’s worst slum.




We are providing thousands of families with everything they need—materials, instructions, even a hammer—to build simple, sturdy shelters like the one pictured above. Shown with the shelter are food staples, hygiene kits, and other emergency items that we have already distributed by the thousands.The critical need right now is providing temporary shelter for the thousands living in makeshift tents with flimsy sheets strung over pieces of string to ward off the heat and dust. These offer scant protection now and will be useless when the heavy rains come in early April. I’m afraid we will see a dramatic rise in diseases such as pneumonia, as well as outbreaks of diphtheria and typhoid as runoff is polluted by the thousands of bodies still lying entombed in the rubble.

Here’s what Samaritan’s Purse is doing to provide immediate help.

In devastated towns and neighborhoods, we’re providing all the materials needed to build sturdy 12-by-12-foot shelters that will be able to temporarily house a family of up to 10. Each shelter will be wrapped with our rugged waterproof and windproof plastic, and covered with a sloping galvanized steel roof. Gutters along the backside will funnel
rainwater into a 65-gallon cistern.

For about $664, we can supply a basic shelter designed to last for two years. The gutters and cistern cost an additional $113, and wooden bunk beds $223. This means for about $1,000, we can enable a Haitian family to build a sturdy temporary shelter that will keep
them safe and dry.

For just $100 more, our teams can install a household water filter that will provide clean drinking water when the rainwater is insufficient. We would also like to supply each shelter with mosquito nets and blankets. Mosquitoes that spread malaria and dengue fever plague Haiti, and our nets are treated with an active agent that kills the dangerous pests. The nets cost $5 each, and warm blankets $5 each.

In the coming weeks, we’d like to see enough of these temporary shelters built to house thousands of Haitian families, and we want to do it in such a way that our Lord Jesus Christ is lifted up for many to see and believe. Pray that this can be accomplished without delay.

As I walked through the debris-strewn streets of Port-au-Prince, my heart was broken by the sea of human misery. One pastor I met had lost his entire family when his home collapsed. They are still buried beneath the rubble. You hear story after story of such terrible loss.

As we work in Haiti, our teams have had many opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with people who are hurting or grieving. We praise God for using this ministry of compassion to lead hundreds of survivors to saving faith in Christ.

Friend, God is truly at work in Haiti. Our local ministry partners are reporting that church services are full to overflowing, and great numbers of people are turning to Christ. Many of those same churches lost their buildings in the earthquake and are holding open-air worship under our blue plastic.

“We are experiencing a revival that is unprecedented throughout Haiti,” said a missionary. “Churches are overwhelmed with people being saved.”

Please continue to pray for the suffering people of Haiti. It will be a long time before they recover. Although we can’t help everyone, we want to do all we can in the Name of Jesus Christ to reach out to the survivors with His redeeming love.

Thank you, and may God bless you.

Sincerely,


Franklin Graham
President
Samaritan's Purse

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