Haiti Quake on August 14, 2021
The severe 7.2 earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti has killed at least 2,300 Haitians, injured over 10,000 more, and damaged approximately 103,000 homes and other structures.
By way of comparison, 7.2 is multiples stronger than the 6.9 quake which I survived in 1989 in the SF Bay Area. That one collapsed a section of the SF Bay Bridge, destroyed many homes, fissured our freeways, and unnerved me so much that I slept fully clothed while wearing running shoes for a week afterwards.
Haiti’s quake, of course, is just the latest in a succession of terrible tragedies to hit Haiti: from slavery, to brutal dictators and endemic corruption that plundered its natural resources, to foreign occupations (by US Marines for several decades), to the 2010 quake that killed a quarter million Haitians while leveling the entire capital city of Port-au-Prince; to the cholera epidemic inadvertently brought into Haiti by UN troops, killing 10,000 more. Earlier this summer, Haiti’s President was assassinated. Gangs filled the vacuum and now terrorize much of the country. Now: this quake followed immediately by a heavy tropical storm that added mudslides to the general misery.
Mercy Beyond Borders’ staff and girls appear to be safe at this time, though aftershocks continue. We operate in Gros Morne, located in the mountains about 100 miles (as the crow flies) from today’s epicenter. Many of our Scholars and some of our staff lost close family members in the 2010 quake. That trauma now revisits them. Several MBB Scholars are studying at universities in Port-au-Prince. We have not yet heard from them.
Surely everyone in Haiti needs our prayers and compassionate action.
Mercy Beyond Borders stands with the besieged Haitian people. We have “loaned” our Chief Progams Officer, Jonathan LaMare to several nonprofits in the affected area. They specifically requested his help because he is fluent in Creole, has a master’s in social welfare, and has 10 years of experience working in Haiti.
We will keep you apprised of any further developments. Meanwhile, we suggest donating, if you are able, to nonprofits whom we know have a solid history of doing good work near the epicenter in the southwest part of Haiti:
Health Equity International [St Boniface Hospital]: https://healthequityintl.org
Mission of Hope International: www.mohintl.org
Doctors Without Borders: Doctors Without Borders
Thank you for your concern, your prayers.
Our hearts ache for Haiti,
Sr Marilyn Lacey
Executive Director
