Dear Supporters,
I share news that is making me anxious and ask that you continue to send all the money that you are willing to part with for our breakfast program. We will be needing to feed our community in the coming weeks and months, people are flooding into Lagonav.
A short update on what we’re hearing from Anse-a-Galets from Paul with Haiti Lumiere de Demain. January 21st
1. Huge influx of displaced people, many of them in need of medical care. We got an estimate of 40,000, but we’re trying to verify that now.
2. Still haven’t been able to get medical supplies for the hospital and the situation there is getting desperate. Trying to coordinate now with CRUDEM and the Coast Guard to see if we can get some of the most extreme cases evacuated by helicopter to their hospital in Milot. Nonetheless, we need at least a small amount of medical supplies to hold out until a better supply chain can be established.
3. Still trying to establish a link with AmeriCares, Red Cross, US Navy, State Department, or some other organization that can open a supply line to La Gonave. Like AmeriCares, we’ve gotten a few of them to acknowledge receipt of our information, but no offers of help yet.
From the Wesleyan Hospital compound:
From Joy, pastor Dan’s wife, January 19th: Hello,
Dan left for PAP this morning and I will join him tomorrow. We have received a MASH unit and are coordinating medical personnel arriving this week.
You are right regarding people coming to LAG. We don’t have an estimate of how many, but the ferries and sail boats are running as many times as they are able to each day. In the beginning it was mostly people from LAG but lately people are coming even though they have no family here.
Food and Fuel are both issues. Dan feels that in the next ten days to two weeks the island will begin to experience a food crisis. We may have 20 bags of rice, but as you know that will not go far. The people will be in desperate need for relief supplies.
Yesterday while up town I ran into the Mayor who was going from merchant to merchant asking them no to raise prices.
Any ideas you might have would be very welcome.
Blessings,
Joy
