A Year Later, Church Continues to Provide Aid to Haiti

The devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January 2010 shattered and changed millions of lives, but the relief efforts and outpouring of support by organizations and individuals worldwide offered hope. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been working diligently since the disaster to provide aid to the people of Haiti through its humanitarian aid program.

In January of 2010, Bishop H. David Burton, presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who oversees the Church’s humanitarian program said, “Our hearts ache for the people of Haiti and our prayers are with them as we witness the unimaginable suffering they are experiencing. We are grateful for the many generous donations that enable the Church to provide extensive relief in Haiti, as well as other parts of the world.”

Since the quake struck, the Church has provided the equivalent of over 60 truckloads of relief supplies (including 10 air shipments) to Haiti. Those supplies and other relief provided by the Church include:

Earthquake Relief Supplies

• Food – Over 1 million pounds
• Filtration bottles – Over 16,000
• Hygiene kits – Over 110,000
• Blankets – Over 13,000
• Kitchen sets – 13 pallets
• Newborn kits – Over 9,400
• First aid kits – Over 4,300
• Medical supplies – 25 pallets
• Tents – Over 3,000
• Tarps – Over 4,000
• School kits – Over 800
• Quilts – Over 600
• Cots – 48
• Toys – 2 pallets
• Other items

Health Professional Assistance and Shelter Construction

• Twenty-two volunteer medical personnel attended to more than 1,000 wounded.
• Six mental health professionals and over 100 volunteers offered counseling and emotional support to victims.
• Church meetinghouses were used as shelters and temporary treatment centers, and tent camps were set up to house hundreds of families. The Church built bathrooms, showers, and washing areas for use by camp residents.
• A temporary bishops’ storehouse was set up to organize ongoing food distribution. Plans are in process for a permanent bishops’ storehouse in Port-au-Prince.
• An employment resource center, staffed by Haitian Church members, was set up to assist those who lost their livelihoods as a result of the quake. More than 650 applicants have now been placed in jobs or self-employment.
• Materials were provided for the construction of provisional housing. Seventy-three of these temporary dwellings have been completed since the quake.

Cholera Treatment and Prevention Efforts

• 5 large medical tents
• Nearly 17,000 hygiene kits
• Over 8,500 water filtration bottles, with 5,000 extra filters
• Water filtration bags and extra filters
• Water filtration pumps and extra filters
• Over 5,000 cholera prevention and treatment kits
• 3 large water purification systems
• 390 cases of hand soap
• Cholera education materials
• Local Church leaders are partnering with government agencies and other relief organizations to provide training on cholera prevention methods.

See also “A year after Haiti quake, Latter-day Saints remember the heartache, continue to help” in the Deseret News.