Home Earthquake survivors say, “Thank you for not leaving us alone” On Tuesday, August 31, MCC flew canned meat and relief kits (a large bucket of hygiene supplies for a family) through Mission Aviation Fellowship, to Saint-Jean-du-Sud, a southwest municipality in southern Haiti. This area was impacted by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 14, that caused more than 2,000 fatalities and destroyed or damaged houses and livelihoods, leaving 650,000 people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance. MCCs partner Association des Volontaires pour la Reforme et le Dveloppement de Saint-Jean-du-Sud (AVOREDES; Association for the Reform and Development of Saint-Jean-du-Sud) distributed 12 cans of meat and one relief kit to 50 families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged and were considered especially vulnerable, including pregnant women, people with disabilities, and families headed by elderly persons or single women. AVOREDES is connected to Assemble de la Grce, which is part of Mennonite World Conference. About half of the people who received supplies were related to Mennonite churches in the area. This was the first distribution in the area by any organization. Getting supplies to the area was initially difficult because of insecurity from gangs and bandits and tropical storm Grace that followed the earthquake within the same week. Paul Fast, former MCC representative in Haiti and current MCC health coordinator, reported that recipients were filled with gratitude. One woman said, Thank you for not leaving us alone. Weve felt very alone these last days, waiting after the earthquake, hoping someone would come, hoping someone would not forget us.
On Tuesday, August 31, MCC flew canned meat and relief kits (a large bucket of hygiene supplies for a family) through Mission Aviation Fellowship, to Saint-Jean-du-Sud, a southwest municipality in southern Haiti. This area was impacted by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake on Aug. 14, that caused more than 2,000 fatalities and destroyed or damaged houses and livelihoods, leaving 650,000 people in need of emergency humanitarian assistance. MCCs partner Association des Volontaires pour la Reforme et le Dveloppement de Saint-Jean-du-Sud (AVOREDES; Association for the Reform and Development of Saint-Jean-du-Sud) distributed 12 cans of meat and one relief kit to 50 families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged and were considered especially vulnerable, including pregnant women, people with disabilities, and families headed by elderly persons or single women. AVOREDES is connected to Assemble de la Grce, which is part of Mennonite World Conference. About half of the people who received supplies were related to Mennonite churches in the area. This was the first distribution in the area by any organization. Getting supplies to the area was initially difficult because of insecurity from gangs and bandits and tropical storm Grace that followed the earthquake within the same week. Paul Fast, former MCC representative in Haiti and current MCC health coordinator, reported that recipients were filled with gratitude. One woman said, Thank you for not leaving us alone. Weve felt very alone these last days, waiting after the earthquake, hoping someone would come, hoping someone would not forget us.
