MIAMI – The nation of Haiti continues to reel from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti over the weekend as well as a tropical storm that abated just a few days ago. The earthquake was centered in Les Cayes on the southern peninsula of the Caribbean nation. The earthquake was felt throughout the island of Hispaniola and as far West as central Cuba and Jamaica.
Above: Powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake jolts Haiti
JEREMIE, HAITI – AUGUST 14: A photo shows damaged buildings as people inspect after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the country on August 14, 2021, in Jeremie, Haiti. The earthquake’s epicenter was 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northeast of Saint-Louis-du-Sud, with a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The earthquake has been devastating. The death toll stood at over 2,000 persons with over 12,000 others injured. At the moment, 300 people are still missing. One survivor told BBC, “you can smell death right now.”
Marie Guerrier, who practices Regla de Ocha, told me her family was safe, but there is a serious crisis in Haiti. The nation has been overwhelmed and “eclipsed by the story out of Afghanistan.” She worries Haiti will be forgotten as the world focuses on Asia. “I feel we are always forgotten but this time faster than before.”
Pierre Emmanuel, a colleague of Marie, agrees. But he added that the type of help must be directed through agencies that can help on the ground. He hopes the United States and other nations with vast resources will send aid in the form of medical supplies and personnel, but he suggested that some agencies have become fatigued and ineffective after a decade of emergencies.
Above: Tropical Storm Grace Hits Haiti After 7.2 Quake
LES CAYES, HAITI – AUGUST 17: A woman carries a jerrycan on her head through a flooded area as heavy rain brought by tropical storm Grace hits Haitians just after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on August 17, 2021 in Les Cayes, Haiti. Rescue workers have been working among destroyed homes since the quake struck on Saturday and so far there are 1,419 dead and 6,000 wounded. The epicenter was located about 100 miles west of the capital city Port-au-Prince. (Photo by Richard Pierrin/Getty Images)
Indeed, that has been the case. In 2010, 220,000 people died from the previous mammoth earthquake, with 1.5 million individuals displaced. It was followed by Hurricane Matthew, which killed 600 people in 2016. Now, a presidential assassination, an earthquake, and tropical storm have happened in the middle of a pandemic.
There are also stories on the street, like that of Emmanuel, that organizations that might traditionally help are viewed with skepticism about their effectiveness and motivations. Propublica reported in 2015 about such organizations that included the American Red Cross.
Mambo T Chita Tann of Sosyete Fos Fè Yo Wè expressed the same concerns. “This time, I’ve been more cautious,” she wrote on Patreon. “I’ve spent a few days doing research, to learn something about various organizations inside Haiti that are not only already doing good work but those that are run by Haitians and have investments in communities and not just in the NGOs/charities themselves.”
Mambo Chita Tann argues that these organizations are better choices for those wanting to send support to Haiti than large NGOs like the Red Cross or UNICEF or other groups run by “Evangelical Protestants.” These groups are run by Haitians inside of Haiti and have better track records within the country. The organizations and charities she supports appear in our list below.
Please consider supporting Mambo Chita Tann in her work. Her advocacy has been invaluable throughout this crisis.
The flag of Haiti [public domain]
In truth, The Wild Hunt cannot adequately cover a story of this scope. But we can help broadcast the message that urgent help is needed because of the sluggish response of nations and organizations to the Haitian people. Below is a list of organizations with a boots-on-the-ground track record from previous disasters.
At the top of the list is the Family Action Network Movement (FANM) under the leadership of Haitian-American activist Marleine Bastien. This organization has deep roots in Miami-Dade and is mobilizing how best to help. Local leaders have said that “sending goods will be challenging… so groups are raising money to purchase relief supplies and work with local people on the ground in Haiti.” FANM does not yet have a mechanism to assist, but we suggest readers check their website.
Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center is working through the United Way of Miami-Dade and Operation Helping Hands. The Miami Herald reports that “United Way says all money raised will be used to buy relief items and services needed in Haiti.”
Hope for Haiti is a well-known organization that has been working tirelessly. They released a list of goals this evening to support earthquake relief and recovery efforts. The list includes:
- Purchase, import and distribution of $60 million in medication, medical supplies, medical equipment, and PPE
- 50,000 health consultations, medication & supplies, referrals, and health education for children, parents, and grandparents
- Rubble removal and rehabilitation of homes, schools, sanitation blocks, and healthcare facilities in 24 rural and urban communities
Mambo Chita Tann noted that Hope for Haiti is “a larger, but well respected/reputable organization working in Haiti and specifically on medical emergencies. They have a hospital local to the quake zone and are already distributing water, tarps, bandages, medicine and other things to the many people who are now homeless. This organization is based in Florida and was founded as an NGO by non-Haitians, but works with a majority Haitian team inside Haiti. It is also demonstrating that it is not hoarding money like the other NGOs did in the 2010 earthquake aftermath and thus can be recommended as a place to send money where it will have immediate impact.”
CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort)
Run out of California as an organization that empowers teams in various places to respond to emergencies and natural disasters. They have a Haitian team already working on rapid response to the earthquake area.
FOKAL
Currently helping women and farmers who are in the affected region. It has been run by Haitians for Haitians since 1995.
Haiti Communitiere
Currently helping fund emergency evacuations for people who need to go to Port-au-Prince for medical attention and also housing and transportation for their families. It works with different Haitian and international partners. The organization is based in Haiti and run by Haitians, though they are using foreign fundraising partners.
Haiti Ocean Project
This group normally works in the sea, not the land – they are concerned with “conservation and protection of high-profile marine life such as marine mammals, sea turtles, sharks, and stingrays” in Haiti by both educating Haitians about marine protection and doing actual conservation. Because it is located in the Nippes department in southwestern Haiti, where major damage occurred, they are now doing emergency fundraising to help staff members who were injured or whose houses have been lost, and this effort is being expanded to help bring emergency assistance to the heavily damaged villages where they are working.
Partners in Health
Although Partners in Health is not a Haitian-run organization – it goes all over the world to help with healthcare and emergency medical needs – it has worked in Haiti for decades.
SOIL
This organization has been in Haiti since before the 2010 earthquake, with Haitian partners, to help with issues of water access and sanitation/health. They have opened a special fund for the current earthquake to enable them to send medical and sanitation supplies as well as water to affected areas.
Various municipalities in South Florida have released a list of desperately needed items:
- Food – canned and bagged
- Powdered milk and infant foods
- Medicines (over the counter) First aid kits
- Diapers and Infant apparel
- Hygiene products – soap, dental, wipes
- Shoes and clothing
- School supplies, books, and toys
- Paper goods and plasticware
- Tarps, stakes, and fasteners
Please consider supporting one of these organizations or others that directly support the Haitian people.
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