HAITI. Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable de Saint-Marc, the school largely funded by the travel retail community after the 2010 earthquake, is undamaged by the devastating earthquake that struck the island nation last week, we can confirm.
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake on 14 August has severely damaged several cities and villages. As of 18 August, the death toll was 1,941 with some 9,900 injured, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Committee.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry has declared a one-month National State of Emergency.
Hand in Hand for Haiti – from Les Cayes to Camp Perrin We’re right next to the Caribbean here, on the site of an old rum port. Sister Marthe from the Missionaries of Charity told me that the city is colloquially known as ‘OK’ – and was responsible for spawning the popular worldwide saying that transcends virtually every language barrier. |
Around 685,00 people are in need of emergency humanitarian assistance in the three departments most affected by the earthquake – Nippes, Grand’Anse and Sud. 60,759 houses were destroyed and 76,121 houses damaged in the three departments. Les Cayes in Sud, the country’s fourth-biggest city, has been devastated.
Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable de Saint-Marc, located in the commune of Saint-Marc, was built following the largest charity fund-raising project in travel retail history.
The world-class educational facility opened its doors on 3 October 2011. The construction was designed to be hurricane-proof and anti-seismic. As with the devastating Hurricane Matthew which ravaged Haiti in October 2016 the school has stood up well to the latest catastrophe to hit the country. For much of Haiti, tragically, the same cannot be said.
How you can help the people of Haiti (Source: NPR.org)
- PBS NewsHour recommends: UNICEF, Project HOPE, Hope for Haiti, Save the Children, World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, The Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s relief fund and Operation Helping Hands from The United Way and the Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald.
- These are some of the other organisations highly rated by Charity Navigator: Direct Relief, Haitian Health Foundation, International Relief Teams, Medical Teams International, Project HOPE, Team Rubicon and Americares.
