ACT News Update

Haiti 04/04

ACT relief efforts begin in Haiti

The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) - Haiti is set to begin the first transports of 500 buckets of food and water to Gonaives today. The buckets will be stored in a warehouse belonging to CARE, an international humanitarian organization, and will be distributed to church leaders who will in turn distribute them to the communities where the churches are working.

Michael Kuehn, director of LWF’s program in Haiti, confirms media reports of a chaotic situation in Gonaives. “Goniaves is a completely unstructured situation,” says Kuehn. He says gangs are attacking vehicles carrying relief supplies and personnel distributing them. As a result of security concerns, LWF is organizing the transport of the supplies in collaboration with MINUSTAH, the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti. “The whole city was under water and is now covered with mud, and nothing is working,” he adds.

The buckets of food are worth US$35 each and will support a family of five for a week. Each bucket contains rice, beans, vegetable oil, water, tomato paste, spaghetti, milk powder and some hygiene items. LWF is working on a similar bucket containing kitchen tools, but is finding it difficult to obtain these items locally.

LWF has also hired an emergency officer to be based in St. Marc, one hour from Gonaives, and who will be responsible for the operation to and in the city.

Despite the uncertainty and insecure nature of the situation, Kuehn says, “This is the least we can do,” regarding the initial part of its response. LWF will conduct further assessments of the affected areas around Gonaives next week to find additional places where it can respond.

An ACT appeal for the wider LWF response will be issued soon.

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