Simon Barrington returns from visit to Haiti
The following is a message from Simon Barrington, Executive Director of Samaritan's Purse UK, who recently returned from a visit to Haiti:
I returned from reviewing our work in Haiti yesterday and wanted to update you with the progress we are making.
Over the last week I was able to see for myself the devastating impact of the catastrophic earthquake piled on top of chronic poverty. The people of Haiti are hungry, thirsty and desperate for shelter as 1.3 million of them remain homeless or living in shelters of cardboard and blankets. It rained very heavily one night that I was there, and in the community we visited the following day, everyone reported being soaked through!
The need for action is urgent, and on the ground the team from Samaritan’s Purse, working with the local Church are making a significant difference.
FOOD: I saw our team working in partnership with the World Food Programme, distributing basic staples such as rice, beans, and oil to more than 400,000 people living in Cite Soleil. I heard how in the coming weeks, this project will transition to targeted feeding for the most vulnerable people, particularly mothers and children under five.
SHELTER: In the immediate aftermath of the disaster, our team distributed over 30,000 20'x20' pieces of heavy-duty plastic to replace the sheets and cardboard that were being used to construct makeshift shelters. You can’t go far in Haiti now, without seeing Samaritan’s Purse blue plastic! We also provided hundreds of rolls of plastic sheeting to churches and orphanages for them to use for emergency repairs and shelters. Today, we have constructed more than 50 transitional shelters (see photos attached), and our team is working diligently to complete over 5,000 more as quickly as possible. We have sent materials on three cargo ships to support the shelter building project.
WATER: Within days, Samaritan's Purse had sent community water filters and water purification packets to Haiti. Since then, we have installed 20 community water filters in Port-au-Prince, Leogane, and Grand Goave and I was able to see 
two of these machines in action (see photos attached). These machines can provide safe water for up to 3,000 people per day. In addition, I saw how we have constructed more than 100 latrines, and witnessed our team conducting hygiene and sanitation training in communities receiving filters and latrines.
MEDICAL: Our disaster assistance response team (DART) medical advisor was on the ground less than 24 hours after the disaster. He immediately began working at our partner's 100-bed mission hospital. When he arrived, there were more than 300 people crowded into the facility, and busloads of additional patients arrived daily. Samaritan's Purse sent in dozens of doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel to assist, and the hospital was quickly stabilized. The facility began working so efficiently that our partners and staff were able to take in patients from overrun hospitals in Port-au-Prince. Through this project, thousands of sick and injured Haitians have been able to receive medical care. We have also restored a clinic run by our church partner in Cite Soleil. We have equipped and staffed this facility, and we now see an average of 100 people per day.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support, and to ask that you continue to pray for the people of Haiti. The heavy rains are due in just a few weeks time, and so the need for action is urgent, particularly on shelter. Samaritan’s Purse is committed to being in Haiti for the long term – at least 3 years – and we need your continued support to make a difference over that time for the people of Haiti.
