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Report from Haiti

January 16, 2010

We spoke just a short time ago to Pastor Esperandieu Pierre, our partner on the ground in Haiti. He shared with us what was happening in the city of Port-Au-Prince and described the unmistakable smell of decomposing bodies and the sights of the injured and hungry.

What was it like when you arrived in Port-Au-Prince?
As I walked outside the airport…we were surround with 1200 Haitians. Many were reaching out their hands to me “I am hungry and I have had no food for 3 days.” You can smell the dead bodies. Everyone is trapped all over the place.

There is over 2,000 people in every public park. Lots of injured people and no one to attend to them. (They are) trying to find people and take out dead bodies so that you can actually get around. There are broken bones, injured…nobody to attend to them. They are hungry but they are hurting too.

In the downtown, the epicenter of the earthquake, the people are becoming violent.

What are the most urgent needs?
People need water. They need food. The people that are hurt are just moved into a public place because there is no one there to attend to them.

Haitians only prepare for one meal at a time. They don’t have stores of food. For every meal they go get it. They aren’t prepared and there is no where to buy it. No stores, nothing is open. One thing is good though, we are just 45 minutes from the Dominican Republic border. We can go there with a truck, load it up with supplies – rice, cooking oil and soap and come back.

The communication system is down and we can’t call anyone.

Many people are sleeping in the streets, on carpets and anything else they can get. They are advising not to go back in the houses because of aftershocks. Even me, my wife and children are sleeping out in the yard.

The reality is what happened in Port-au-Prince in 35 seconds will take 30-40 years to rebuild.

Please continue to pray for Esperandieu and his family as they grieve the loss of many friends and continue to reach out and help the people in Haiti.

You can help. Make a donation to help Haiti today.

Tags: globalaid, Haiti, report