Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
RESponse Doctors and volunteers unload water sent by the Church on Jan. 24 for earthquake victims.
Posted on 02/02/2010 6:51:06 AM PST by TheDon
Latter-day Saint help and support in Haiti will be a long-term effort, said Dennis Lifferth, managing director of Church Welfare Services.
Speaking to the Church News two weeks after a Jan. 12 earthquake leveled much of the Caribbean island nation — and more than a week after Church medical teams arrived in the country to offer help — Brother Lifferth said the next steps for Church relief in the devastated country are being developed "at this very moment."
"The Area presidency is considering how to help rebuild, how to help the members with employment and how to provide additional medical support," he said, noting that the Church will also work with the United Nations and other relief organizations to formulate long-term recovery needs and rebuild schools, hospitals and infrastructure.
"This will not end in the next week or two," he added. "This will be a long-term effort."
That, he explained, is one of the benefits of the Church's involvement. "They tend to take a long-term view," he said.
For example, the Church is still providing support in Indonesia and Peru years after disasters devastated those areas.
"The Church will be in Haiti for a long time, providing the help that is needed to rebuild," he pledged.
Brother Lifferth said that already the Church response, led by the Caribbean Area Presidency, has been remarkable. In the two weeks following the disaster — which killed as estimated 200,000 (including 20 Latter-day Saints) and left more than a million homeless — the Church:
Distributed more than 1 million pounds of food, water and other necessities to thousands of people. Five planes carrying relief supplies were sent to the country immediately. Another two planes are scheduled to arrive in Haiti this week. In addition, the Church purchased food locally. In total, the Church's contribution thus far equates to 25 truckloads, each carrying 40,000 pounds of food and other supplies.
Shipped more than 2,000 tents for families forced to leave their homes. More than 1,000 additional tents are en route to the country.
Provided medical doctors, medicine and wheelchairs for the injured. In the first few days after the initial quake, the Church called on 14 doctors and nurses and a pair of licensed social workers to participate in humanitarian aid. A half-dozen of them spoke Haitian Creole or French.
Opened the doors of nine meetinghouses located in and around Port-au-Prince to provide shelter to members and their neighbors. According to a Church welfare report, the number of individuals taking refuge at meetinghouses continues to decrease slowly as people return to their homes or find better locations for refuge.
Partnered with other charitable organizations, including Food for the Poor, International Relief and Development, American Red Cross, Islamic Relief, CARE and United Airlines. In addition, the Church is working closely with the United Nations to coordinate relief efforts on the ground.
Organized priesthood leaders in Port-au-Prince to assess the needs and provide the direction for relief efforts. Local leaders organized the members and missionaries to load and unload the trucks carrying the supplies, to help and care for the injured, feed the people, and clean local meetinghouses and grounds. In addition, local leaders have offered hope and encouragement.
Coordinated the donations of thousands of Latter-days Saints, who made "significant contributions" online and through Sunday contribution forms to help with relief efforts in Haiti.
Purchased four additional vehicles for use in delivering supplies and moving aid workers, according to a Church welfare report. In addition, the former mission home is being renovated for use by the local priesthood emergency response committee and as a base for medical response.
Brother Lifferth said day by day, the conditions in Port-au-Prince are slowly improving. Traffic is flowing better. Commerce is slowly increasing and more food appears to be available on the streets. Medical clinics are functioning again.
"We are very pleased and grateful for the remarkable progress in Haiti," Brother Lifferth said.
The Caribbean Area Presidency has two major goals, Brother Lifferth noted. "The first is to provide relief to those who have been displaced or injured or are otherwise suffering from the effects of the earthquake. The second is to help the people continue along the path that leads to self reliance and self worth."
Brother Lifferth said the Church's quick response in Haiti was made possible because the organization had the needed supplies already stored in warehouses across the United States and could quickly assemble and have them ready to ship.
Second, he said, quick response was possible because of the number of friends and relationships that have been established by the Church over the years in emergency response. Specifically in Haiti, he added, the Church had established friends that made large warehouses and compounds available to the Church, where relief supplies could be held before they were distributed.
And finally, local priesthood leaders helped the Church assess the problems and immediately communicated needs.
"We are seeing a unique level of cooperation among all interested parties working together to help the Haitians solve their problems," he said. "It is remarkable."
Brother Lifferth said medical teams returning to headquarters reported "how profoundly grateful [the Haitians] are for the tremendous outpouring of support they have received."
This has been posted to the Religion Forum
LDS Ping!
• Distributed more than 1 million pounds of food, water and other necessities to thousands of people. Five planes carrying relief supplies were sent to the country immediately. Another two planes are scheduled to arrive in Haiti this week. In addition, the Church purchased food locally. In total, the Church’s contribution thus far equates to 25 truckloads, each carrying 40,000 pounds of food and other supplies.
Lord Love them!!!!!
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