Catholic Relief Services Responds in the Aftermath of the Earthquake in Haiti

A devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the southern part of Haiti on Saturday, August 14th. As of August 25th, over 2,200 have been found dead, more than 12,000 people have been left injured and 344 are still missing. Haitian officials estimate there are 600,000 people in need of emergency assistance as an estimated 53,000 homes were destroyed along with 200 Catholic churches.  Area hospitals have been overwhelmed by the disaster, pushing them to capacity and forcing them to turn away people in need.

The thousands who have been left homeless had to endure heavy rains with little or no protection, a few days after the quake, brought by Tropical Storm Grace. The storm caused flooding, washing out roads and triggering over 150 mud and rockslides. This has severely hampered the delivery of aid to many areas in need. The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) says about 500,000 children have limited or no access to shelter, safe water and food.

The earthquake and tropical storm come on the heels of back-to-back crises, including an ongoing battle with COVID-19, political and economic instability, increasing hunger and gang violence.

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has teams on the ground, in the places most heavily hit in Les Cayes and Jeremie, working with partners and affected communities to identify the most urgent needs and are coordinating the delivery of life-saving supplies. CRS is providing clean water, hygiene supplies, food, tarps, blankets, medical equipment and other emergency supplies to all those who are suffering. Financial contributions are needed for these relief efforts. To donate, please go to Powerful Earthquake Strikes Haiti | Catholic Relief Services (crs.org). For more information, please see CRS Responds to Haiti Earthquake | CRS or contact the diocesan CRS office at 510-768-3176 and mmckimmey@cceb.org.