HAITI EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE UPDATE: We are working quickly to procure 3,000 kits with essential supplies, including water purification tabs, soap, diapers, mosquito nets, sheets, and tarps as well as 3,000 solar lanterns. We also plan to provide cash assistance to 5,000 families so they can purchase what they need most. Help people and communities in places like Haiti, in this moment and beyond. Give today ▸ |
Dear Friend, It’s World Humanitarian Day, and I’m writing to you from Haiti. I was here before, in 2016, after Hurricane Matthew wiped out rural and coastal communities. Today, Haiti is reeling from the weekend’s 7.2 earthquake combined with floods from Tropical Storm Grace.
As our team mobilizes, Edryne Michel, Head of the Nippes office, explains to me how climate change has intensified the effects of the recent earthquake and floods. She is one of 70 dedicated team members here, of whom 64 are Haitian.
As our team drives through thick mud and foot-deep water to reach communities most affected by the earthquake, I see landslides, mudslides, rockslides. We are still feeling aftershocks. In a school that was partially destroyed, 200 people are sheltering — head to toe, side by side, blankets on the ground. Social distancing is impossible in circumstances like these, and with the Delta variant already actively spreading in Haiti, we’re worried about people’s health. Traveling the world as Mercy Corps’ Managing Director of Communications, I’ve witnessed destruction like this — in The Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian, and after earthquakes in Nepal. I’ve seen people experience fear and uncertainty amid conflict in places like Yemen and Nigeria. Yet no matter how difficult the situation, one thing that never ceases to inspire me is the relentless dedication of our global team members. These humanitarians carry out their work in collaboration with their communities, even under extraordinary circumstances. Often, our teams are experiencing the same struggles as the communities they serve — 85 percent of our team members are from the countries where they work.
I admire how my colleagues do their jobs with deep empathy, expertise, and creativity. And I’m grateful for supporters like you. Whether you support Mercy Corps financially through your gift, as an advocate for change by signing our petitions, or simply by sharing our stories of impact with people you care about, you are a member of our global community of humanitarians. Thank you. You can help Mercy Corps make a difference in places like Haiti, Yemen, Sudan, Nepal, and across the world. Will you donate this World Humanitarian Day to support our team’s global emergency response efforts? Thank you for being a humanitarian, and for celebrating all of our global team members this World Humanitarian Day. Sincerely,
Christy believes that no matter who you are, serving and engaging with your global community has never been more needed. She is passionate about connecting the news media, supporters, and policymakers to the information they need and the authentic stories that inspire.
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