Dear friend, My name is Edryne Michel. I’m Mercy Corps’ Head of Office in Haiti. I want to share an update following the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that recently struck my home country of Haiti. As you read, if you’re moved to help, we invite you to support emergency relief efforts in places like Haiti and around the world. In L’Asile, the epicenter of the earthquake, about 50% of homes have been destroyed and 90% are damaged. Relia, a mother of three children, is one of thousands of Haitians who lost her home: "My house is completely destroyed. All my things are under the rubble. We have no clothes. We have nothing." Hard-hit L’Asile is located in a rural, mountainous area which is extremely difficult to access. Unpaved roads and damage from the earthquake and Tropical Storm Grace have made it nearly impossible for large trucks carrying supplies to reach communities in need. Despite these challenges, our team is working quickly to coordinate relief efforts, using motorbikes to navigate damaged routes and identify areas in most need. People need clean water, medicine, shelter, soap, and cleaning supplies — particularly important with the spread of the Delta variant as only 0.1% of Haitians are vaccinated. Our teams are working to distribute essential supplies for affected communities. We’re also making plans to provide cash assistance to help people purchase what they need most and support local markets. These response efforts are led by Haitians, with global support from people like you. Since the earthquake struck, more than 600 new supporters have made a gift to help fuel this kind of work in places like Haiti and around the globe. Will you join your fellow humanitarians by making your first gift today? Our teams were here before the earthquake, and we will be here long after the media coverage fades, helping our communities rebuild and recover from this earthquake and from other challenges facing Haiti, including violence, hunger, and the effects of the climate crisis. Your support helps make this work possible in places like Haiti and in countries across the world. With gratitude,
Born in Haiti, Edryne joined the Mercy Corps team in 2020. She is passionate about conservation agriculture, and believes that disaster risk management is key to increasing communities’ resilience to future climate shocks.
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