PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (October 5, 2016) – Following the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Matthew on Haiti yesterday, Covenant World Relief funds are already at work through its partner World Relief International, said Dave Husby, CWR director, this morning. The international organization draws on CWR funds set aside to provide immediate help and also is an ongoing ministry partner.

The areas of focus will be water, sanitation, rebuilding shelter homes built after the catastrophic earthquake of 2010, agriculture initiatives, and cleanup, Husby said.

According to the United Nations, 350,000 men, women and children in Haiti are in need of assistance. Tens of thousands already have been forced into shelters, water is in short supply, and hospitals are strained.

The storm has caused extensive damage in Fond-des-Blanc, where the Haiti Christian Development Fund, a CWR partner, is located. The ministry helps farmers to use techniques that will help them become self-sufficient and incorporates other holistic development projects.

Founder Jean Thomas was able to call Husby and said he has never experienced a storm like Matthew in Fond-des-Blanc. (Hurricane Sandy wiped out an estimated 70 percent of the nation’s agriculture.)

“They had high winds and torrential rains for 18 hours,” Husby said. “Many houses and churches have been totally destroyed. The road to Port-au Prince is impassible.”

The storm rendered communication difficult or impossible, so CWR also is waiting to hear about the condition of those and other projects in the country, which is the poorest in the Western Hemisphere.

Covenant World Relief supported a previous long-term hospital project with partner Medical Teams International in Les Cayes, following the 2010 quake. It also worked with Habitat for Humanity to construct housing in Leogane. Matthew has left extreme flooding and many destroyed homes in both areas.

Husby noted the remarkable resilience of the people in Haiti. “After the destructive earthquake of 2010, where approximately 230,000 people were killed, I was amazed to see such resiliency and determination of the people to get back on their feet again.”

Anyone wanting to contribute funds to the current relief work there can do so at the special Haiti Disaster Relief funding page.