Critical need for shelter in Haiti
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Samaritan's Purse has identified shelter as a critical need for survivors of the earthquake in Haiti, with heavy rains in recent weeks already causing makeshift camps to become muddy.
"Every time I meet with foreign leaders and delegations, I tell them that is the most urgent need," President Rene Preval told Reuters at the end of February. "Now that we've attended to the wounded, taken away the dead, and we're distributing food and water, the problem of shelter, the tents, is the most urgent," he said.
With many survivors making do with flimsy sheets strung over pieces of string, fears are growing that diseases such as pneumonia, as well as outbreaks of diptheria and typhoid, could become widespread.
Samaritan's Purse teams on the ground are already providing materials to build sturdy 12 ft by 12 ft shelters that can serve as a temporary house for a family of up to 10. Each shelter is wrapped with 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.
Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan's Purse, has said: "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."
This increased focus on shelter comes off the back of Samaritan's Purse relief efforts, which to date includes purifying 200,000 gallons of water daily for thirsty communities and clearing more than 100,000 cubic metres of rubble in and around Port-au-Prince.
HOW YOU CAN RESPOND:
PRAY: Pray for the safety of the team distributing relief supplies; Pray that relief items would get to those who need them most; Pray that we would be able to supply shelter materials to families who need them.
GIVE: Make a donation to our emergency relief fund and help us continue our ongoing response to the earthquake in Haiti and to other disasters in the future.
READ: Keep checking our website for all the latest from Haiti and other places where we are responding to emergencies and disasters.
