Posts Tagged ‘Disaster Relief’

Since responding to the massive earthquake that jarred Haiti six months ago, The Salvation Army continues to work side by side the recovering communities. We have transitioned from focusing on the provision of immediate needs, including temporary shelter, food, water and medical aid, to providing for long-term needs that will help survivors get back to a level of normalcy in their lives.

And today, in an exciting step for many displaced Haitians, we’ve completed construction of 600 long-term intermediary housing shelters in Jacmel to help relocate those displaced by the earthquake back to their home communities!

Our Transitional Shelter Program has been a great way to empower Haitians during this reconstruction process. In a nation where more than 2/3 of the labor force is unemployed, more than 400 Haitians have been hired as carpenters and construction crew-members to assist in reconstruction efforts and be actively involved with reestablishing their communities.

The shelters house on average five people and last several years. With Haiti in the midst of hurricane season, the shelter’s design will also enable them to withstand strong winds as well as drain water away from the structure, helping to reduce the spread of water-borne illnesses.

Now that hundreds of shelters have been built in Jacmel, The Salvation Army will work with Haitian government officials to plan the development of another 1,000-1,500 homes in the northern coastal community of Petit-Goâve, which was severely damaged by a strong earthquake aftershock in January.

We are excited by the steps being taken by Haitians and the The Salvation Army to help the country heal and emerge from this disaster stronger than before! As The Salvation Army’s Lt. Col. Dan Starrett stated, “These homes are the first steps of many in that direction.”

To read the full press release regarding the transitional shelters and an update on our work in Haiti over the past six months, click here.

If you’d like to support our ongoing work in the country, you can give via www.salvationarmyusa.org, 1-800-SAL-ARMY and text messaging “HAITI” to 52000 with confirming “Yes.”

The Salvation Army is responding to the tornadoes that ripped through Oklahoma yesterday.  Five fatalities have been confirmed in Central Oklahoma with 57 injuries, and nearly 37,000 homes are without power.  Local authorities are assessing damage and conducting searches for survivors at this time.  Searches are expected to continue through the night.

Within The Salvation Army’s Arkansas-Oklahoma Division, mobile feeding units (canteens) and individual officers are providing food and refreshments for first responders and others in the some of the hardest hit areas. An emotional and spiritual care team will also be deployed to support those affected by the storm’s fatalities.

For anyone who would like to help those affected by the tornadoes, please consider donating at www.salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY and designate your contribution to “Oklahoma tornadoes.” Monetary donations will ensure The Salvation Army can meet the most immediate needs of those impacted by the storm.

Stay updated on The Salvation Army’s efforts and needs through Twitter @SalvationarmyOK and online at http://www.salvationarmyokcac.org.

Salvation Army officers, church members, and volunteers from Beckley, West Virginia offered their service and support Monday at the disaster scene in the Upper Big Branch coal mine, where a massive explosion is said to have killed 25 miners and trapped several more.

Headed by Captains Robert & Monica Barber, The Salvation Army provided food, drinks, and emotional and spiritual care throughout the night to those affected by the mine explosion and the 150 rescue workers that were present.

Initial relief efforts by the Army have been suspended today while the authorities begin a recovery operation that requires holes to be drilled into the ground to vent the toxic gas that has filled the mine.  All site crew, except for state patrol, have been released, but  The Salvation Army is expected to return at the request of the state’s Emergency Operations Center.

We will post further updates when they become available. You can also find more information at The Salvation Army’s Southern Territory website.

Please continue to pray for those affected by this tragedy.

The State of New Jersey, Department of Human Services, and Department of Homeland Security are providing in a tremendous way for Haiti by donating to The Salvation Army thousands of cots for earthquake survivors.

It would take The Salvation Army 3 months to be able to purchase the necessary amount of cots, but today New Jersey, with the approval of its partners, will provide The Salvation Army with 8,000 cots purchased from the Grainger Company. They will be sent to Florida via truck and then transported to Haiti.  A backup order has already been made by The Salvation Army for a later date.

These cots, though simple items, will meet a significant need for the displaced population. Tens of thousands of individuals are living in tent cities, making for crowded and unsanitary conditions. The need for cots extends beyond just a place to sleep – parents sometimes spend the night sitting up to hold their children off the ground and safe from the elements.  The rainy season has also begun, making conditions worse and threatening lives. These donors’ generosity will provide much needed relief for many.

Tsunami damage in the fishing community of Dichato, Chile

The Salvation Army in Chile is focusing their tsunami relief response mainly on the communities of Dichato and Caleta Tumbes. Many locals here fled to high ground and watched as the tsunami destroyed their homes, possessions and livelihoods, and in some instances took the lives of their loved ones.

One woman lost her 92-year-old father who decided to stay in their house after trusting his son, a local fisherman, that the sea well would not reach the house. On any other night that would have been true – but not on this occasion.

Another fisherman explained that he didn’t think about the boat he left behind as he and his family fled, and now he doesn’t know how he’ll be able to afford to pay for a new one.  His family is currently living with many others in tents and makeshift shelters in woods on high ground inland from their homes.

The tsunami destroyed the communities’ fishing fleets, and this time of year is the most important for sardine fishermen. The season lasts only three months, and many earn almost their entire annual income during this short period.

The secretary of the fishermen’s cooperative in Dichato said: ‘The young men may be able to retrain to do something else but many of us are too old. All we know is fishing – it is our livelihood, it is our life.’

In addition to providing food, water, clothes, and spiritual support, The Salvation Army in Chile is considering raising donations for the purpose of replacing the boats that were swept away.

The secretary of the fishermen’s cooperative in Caleta Tumbes thanked The Salvation Army for all it was doing in the community and appealed for it to continue to give assistance.

If you would like to support The Salvation Army’s ongoing relief efforts in Chile, please visit our online donation page.

Information provided by Major Raelton Gibbs of The Salvation Army’s International Emergency Services

Food and drink is distibuted from a Salvation Army mobile canteen in Chile.

One month following the destructive magnitude 8.8 earthquake and tsunami that struck Chile, The Salvation Army continues distributing  help throughout the country. More than 15,000 people have been assisted and 14,000 rations of food provided to individuals and families. Some 350 volunteers have given their help.

A campaign called ‘Strong Arms Around Chile’ has been set up to help collect donations and goods that can be delivered to the neediest Chileans.

In the area around the capital, Santiago, coffee, hot meals and other services continue to be offered.

The south of the country, particularly coastal regions, was most affected by the disaster and this area is where The Salvation Army is focusing its efforts.

Four hundred baskets with basic necessities have been given out in Caleta Tumbes, which was affected by both the quake and tsunami. Salvation Army workers are helping to clear debris in this area. The Salvation Army is also distributing family baskets with basic necessities such as food, water, hygiene products, and clothes to families who are sleeping outdoors since they no longer have homes.

In Concepción, around the epicentre of the earthquake, family baskets were distributed at a camp in the centre of the city.

In nearby Hualpén, a well on the grounds of Hualpencillo Corps (church) is providing water to the neighbourhood.

The Salvation Army’s Central Division in Chile sent 20 tons of food, clothing and water to the cities of Concepción and Hualpén, including some goods purchased with funds received from overseas.

The supplies were organized in a reception centre at Concepción Corps. The corps officers went to the affected zones to see where the aid was most needed and the community of Dichato was identified. Unfortunately, because of contamination, the military was not allowing people into the community.

Eventually a Salvation Army team was allowed to visit the New Dawn camp in Dichato, which is made up of 180 families – approximately 850 people. The team also visited Villa los Sauces, which has a number of temporary settlements, and the area of Coliumo, where many people are living in small makeshift camps along the side of the road.

In each of these places goods were given out, including food, water and some tents. Three volunteers, rotating every few days, are living in a tent in the New Dawn camp and there are plans to set up a community kitchen. Salvationists and volunteers have helped clear debris and have lifted people’s spirits with times of worship.

In an emergency services coordination meeting, it was decided that Concepción Corps would take responsibility for people in Dichato, Coliumo, Lota, Coronel and Hualqui. The corps at Hualpén will visit and document the communities of Las Salinas, Lenga, Talcahuano and Caleta Tumbes. Some of these areas are dealing with devastation from both the earthquake and the tsunami.

Major Raelton Gibbs (International Emergency Services) is now in Chile to assist and advise the local Salvation Army teams.

The Salvation Army has been shown great appreciation by those receiving help. Many are simply happy still to be alive. The Chilean Salvation Army continues to work and aid those in need by providing not only material necessities but also spiritual comfort.

To help support The Salvation Army’s ongoing relief efforts in Chile, visit our online donations page.

Espwa means “hope” in Creole, the native language of Haiti. This idea of hope  has been a general theme and desire for both citizens and aid workers who are joining together to rebuild Haiti after January’s disastrous earthquake.

From this shared goal has formed the Espwa Project,  a labor of love and an endeavor to bring hope to Haiti by wearing hope. When you give to The Salvation Army’s Espwa Project, a way to support our ongoing relief efforts in Haiti, you will receive a specially designed t-shirt with this inspiring message.

As the Espwa website points out, “Hope, like laughter, is contagious. Each time you wear your [espwa] t-shirt, you spread its message of hope.”

Visit The Salvation Army Haiti Division’s Espwa Project wesbite for information.

The following report is a personal account of Haiti’s January 12 earthquake as seen through the eyes of The Salvation Army’s Divisional Commander Lucien Lamartiniere. It was submitted by Stacy Howard, Public Information Officer for The Salvation Army’s Haiti Incident Command in Port-au-Prince.

Jan. 12, 2010 – 3:30 PM.

He described it as any other afternoon. The Salvation Army’s Haiti Divisional Commander Lucien Lamartiniere wrapped up a meeting at the Divisional Headquarters building. It ran later than expected.

The Major dropped his wife Marie off at a friend’s house. He noted this as being the first time ever, she didn’t want to go straight home with him, but wanted to visit her friend.

4 PM.

Major Lamartiniere planned to stop at the store to buy a drink. He forgot, and headed home.

4:45 PM.

He stood in his kitchen where he opened the fridge to grab a drink. The earth shook, his house began to crumble around him and in what he says “felt like forever” he ran outside. His gate was locked. The earth still shook – hard enough to break the gate open. He ran into the street where he watched his own house and his neighbors’ collapse. “I thought it was the end of the Earth,” Lamartiniere said.

4:46 PM.

The shaking stopped. In less than one minute, one of the most devastating earthquakes in history nearly demolished an entire country. He called his wife. No answer. He walked to search for her. When he finally arrived at her friend’s house, he breathed a sigh of relief as their house still stood. But Marie had left – to search for him.

5 PM.

Marie returned home, to see their car smashed under the caved-in house. She feared the worse.

5:10 PM.

Major Lamartiniere arrived on foot, back at his house where he reunited with his wife.

Two months later he shares his story as if it happened yesterday. Watching his eyes it’s clear every time he speaks of the quake he’s immediately taken back to the time, the place, the fear…and the hope.

He credits four miracles from God, as the reasons he survived what at least 230,000 others did not.

1. The meeting ran late. Had it finished earlier the participants likely would have been shopping in a location where most buildings fell.
2. Marie went to her friend’s house to visit. The house survived, while hers did not. She would have been in her own kitchen preparing dinner. The roof caved in over the kitchen and dining room.
3. The Major forgot to stop at the store. That store no longer exists.
4. His instinct told him to run, the second the shaking started. Many Haitians’ deaths are said to be due to lack of understanding in how to properly escape. Many thought they should stay inside for shelter.

Since the day that forever changed Haiti, Lamartiniere says many people who never sought The Salvation Army’s services before, now flock to the organization for help. The staff originally found some food that survived in storage and began cooking meals for those in need.

Once The Salvation Army established an Incident Command to spearhead the relief efforts, people began to form a tent city camp next to the former Divisional Headquarters, school and clinic which partially collapsed. With aid from around the world, The Salvation Army began its ongoing food distributions which now feed 20,000. One camp member expressed his gratitude to the Incident Command Team. “Without The Salvation Army we would die. Thank you.”

The Majors still live in a tent in the former Divisional Headquarters’ parking lot. They wanted and needed to be with their people, to let them know they were there beside them.

Major Lamartiniere’s primary hope for the future is to move people into permanent housing outside Port-au-Prince.

His outlook is simple. “I know The Salvation Army can’t do everything…but we’re going to be here to do what we can.”

The Salvation Army set up a Haiti relief fund and is accepting monetary donations. Donors may contribute $10 via their phone bill by text messaging the word “HAITI” to 52000, and confirming the donation with the word, “Yes.”  Donors can also give via www.salvationarmyusa.org, 1-800-SAL-ARMY and through the mail at: The Salvation Army World Service Office, International Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 630728, Baltimore, MD 21263-0728 with designation “Haiti Earthquake.”

Salvation Army relief workers stand in front of a tent city in Port-au-Prince.

The Washington Post ran a story today about the threat that Haiti’s upcoming rain and flood season poses to the 700,000 people still living in tent cities in Port-au-Prince. The article discussed the severe sanitation problems that could arise and spread in the congested camps as a result of rain, saying:

“With the rains come the risk of water-borne diseases, which create intestine bacteria and diarrhea, and diarrhea is deadly to children,” said Simon Ingram, a spokesman for UNICEF. The organization estimates that 250,000 children are displaced. In addition, health-care providers noted that the rain can also escalate malaria cases as mosquitoes reproduce near stagnant water.

Relief workers are striving to educate as many displaced individuals and families as possible on the importance of registering with aid agencies so that they may better assess need and plan for relocation before the rains hit. The Salvation Army has been working to register Haitians early on in our relief efforts, and UPS donated use of their high-tech Trackpad technology to increase speed and efficiency of our registration process.

The Salvation Army has also submitted a proposal to USAID for funding to provide 10,000 transitional shelters for the 20,000 Haitians over whom we care for near our Port-au-Prince headquarters. These shelters will provide greater protection against the torrential rains and support a more sanitary environment for Haitians to live in. A more detailed description of the project proposal can be found on an earlier blog entry, and we will post any updates on this project as they become available.

For more information about our work in Haiti, please visit our national website at www.salvationarmyusa.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. You may also contribute to our ongoing Haiti relief efforts by donating online.

You may have read about or heard of the many Million Meals packing events The Salvation Army has been hosting in partnership with Numana, Inc.  Thousands of volunteers from Indiana, California, Kansas, Missouri, and other states have already turned out to these community events to help us package several million meals for earthquake survivors in Haiti.

Get excited because we have another opportunity coming up this weekend! Our next Million Meals event will be held in Wichita, Kansas on Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21. We appreciate all the support we’ve received thus far and we need your continued efforts to reach our goal of providing this food for Haiti! Below is what you need to know about how to get involved.  More detailed information can be found at The Salvation Army Wichita website at www.millionmeals.net.