Dear Friend,

The people of Haiti experienced another in a series of hardships yesterday, as a massive earthquake rocked the country. More than 700 people are reported dead so far, with thousands more suffering injuries and left homeless. The entire nation endures the emotional aftershocks of trauma, as well as the real aftershocks and a potential tropical storm that further threatens lives and livelihoods.

Grassroots International has set up an emergency fund to support social movements and community-led efforts to respond to the urgent crisis as well as to  work towards longer-term movement priorities that address the root causes of multiple crises. 

As initial reports from our partners in Haiti begin to come in, the picture is coming into focus:

• Immediate health concerns, including both injuries from the earthquake as well as ongoing COVID-19 threats
• Urgent needs for housing, water and sanitation, particularly as Haiti also faces pending tropical storms
• Essential support for displaced communities, as well as the organized communities that will welcome in their extended families and others seeking shelter

Grassroots has a long history of working with Haitian movements, with partnerships that date back to the mid-1990s.  Since then, our work with movements has been about the long-term vision and ongoing day-to-day work to organize, build power, restore ecosystems, implement agroecology and rights to water, and struggle for sovereignty as an alternative to colonization and neoliberalism.   Each time when the Haitian people have faced critical moments of hardship -- from earthquakes and hurricanes to human rights crises -- we have worked together to get urgent resources to movements engaged in community-based emergency response. 

Following the country’s deadly earthquake in 2010, Grassroots International’s supporters stepped up big time, allowing us to provide crucial support where it was most needed. Our trusted, long term partnerships with Haitian organizations enables us to follow the lead of movements, as an alternative to top-down, short-term relief driven by outside NGOs.

We are in contact with our partners as they continue to assess the situation and organize their responses.  Leaders have already told us that solidarity and contributions from Grassroots will be welcome. And we’ve assured them that, as always, Grassroots International and our supporters will be there.

The most pressing needs right now are water, food, and shelter, and the hope for a just recovery. Your response now lets you stand with Haitian communities and movements in this critical moment. Please give as generously as you can.

In solidarity, Chung-Wha Hong Executive Director

P.S. Your solidarity response is needed right now. Thank you for choosing to support Grassroots International and our partnership with Haitian movements leading the crisis response at this critical moment. 

P.P.S. Checks may be sent payable to Grassroots International with Haiti Emergency in the memo line, sent to 179 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02130. 

Photo at top courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.