The suffering caused by the earthquake in Haiti is inconceivable, unimaginable. Norwegian Church Aid is working intensely with critical emergency relief.
Clean water for 30,000
The NCA team, including highly-experienced water specialists, is in the slum area of Bel Air in Port-au-Prince. On Monday new water-purification equipment and tents from Norway arrived in the capital city. We will be setting up 45 tonnes of water-purification equipment in the coming days. This will make it possible for water to reach 30,000 people.
The NCA team: Manfred Arlt and Luke Dokter are setting up water-purification equipment. (Photo: Arne Grieg Riisnæs/Norwegian Church Aid)
Invaluable local partner
NCA’s local partner Viva Rio has been in action, providing assistance, in the slum area, since Day 1. 300 volunteers have been working since the earthquake struck.
”Viva Rio is distributing water, building on NCA’s long term development work focusing on water cisterns and wells. Several of these cisterns are in working order, despite the earthquake, and lorries loaded with water fetch water from a reservoir outside the slum area”, explained NCA’s Programme Coordinator Ingvild Skeie.
More help coming
A further two Norwegian women entered Haiti from Dominican Republic yesterday for NCA. They are specialists in psychosocial work and protection of women and children.
Anne Kristin Sydnes, The Director of International Programmes, and Petter Skauen, Advisor, are departing Norway on Tuesday morning. Petter Skauen is generally acknowledged as one of those with most expertise on Haiti; he has worked “hands on” with peace and reconciliation work in the country for many years.
Praying with Haiti
The Baptist Church held a church service on Sunday at its national centre in Haiti. Several thousand made homeless by the earthquake, especially from the poorest areas in Port-au-Prince, are now seeking refuge around church centres. Atle Sommerfeldt, General Secretary, was at the church service.
Secretary Atle Sommerfeldt prayed at the church service held outdoors on Sunday morning. (Photo: Arne Grieg Riisnæs/Norwegian Church Aid)
"It was powerful and moving experience, meeting people who are clearly struggling with trauma and deep sorrow. The experience of not being to fully comprehend what they have lived through and how they foresee the future was at best humbling. At the same time, it is truly wonderful that we are together in relation to Jesus, and the message that God helps and supports especially those struck by disaster and need", said Atle Sommerfeldt.
Emergency team assisted with a birth
In the slum area of Bel Air in Port-au-Prince, several thousand people have gathered in an area where NCA’s local partner Viva Rio works. The area looks likes a refugee camp.
"Viva Rio informs us that the security situation in the area is relatively good, and that people are moving around on foot in the slum. Viva Rio has set up its own emergency team, and they report that it’s working very well. On Thursday they even helped with a birth", said Ingvild Skeie.
People are doing their best to ensure that life goes on in Port-au-Prince. (Foto: Arne Greig Riisnæs/Norwegian Church Aid)
Church-based partner assisting refugees
More and more refugees are heading for the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Our church-based partner SSID has responsibility for a refugee camp containing nearly 10,000 people in the border town of Dajaban. The Churches are doing an enormous job, and it is great to see the unity and solidarity the church network is showing across the border between the two countries.