Relief Efforts Continue in Haiti After Earthquake

Over a week since the 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti on January 12, the nation is still being affected by large aftershocks, including a 6.1-magnitude event yesterday morning. However, the continued geological events are only one challenge facing those trying to provide relief in Haiti.

Despite the efforts of international aid organizations, food, water and other critical resources are still greatly needed by many residents of Port-au-Prince and other parts of the country. Congested runways and ports have made it difficult to get materials into Haiti, and while the situation is slowly improving, lack of available fuel continues to hinder the transport of available supplies to those in need.

"We've been working closely with the Episcopal Diocese of the Dominican Republic to get shipments into Haiti on a daily basis," said Kirsten Muth, Episcopal Relief & Development's Senior Program Director, who is currently working on the ground with Katie Mears, Program Manager for USA Disaster Preparedness and Response.

"We are also using helicopter support from our partner Worldwide Village to provide medical supplies and food to affected rural communities and parishes, including Gressier, Grand Colline and Trouin," said Mears. "The team here has also recently secured additional transport vehicles, which are allowing us to deliver more supplies and reach a larger number of people. Relief efforts are expanding daily."

By collaborating with diocesan staff in the Dominican Republic to secure vehicles and create channels through which they can help those most impacted by this disaster, Episcopal Relief & Development is establishing a long-term response mechanism that can continue to operate efficiently as the recovery process gets underway in the coming weeks and months.

In addition to assisting with daily supply shipments, Episcopal Relief & Development is working to stabilize communications through the provision of satellite phones and solar power chargers.