~ posted to The United Church of Canada’s website on August 18, 2021

The United Church of Canada has launched a fundraising campaign to support the people of Haiti in recovering from a massive earthquake and drenching tropical storm. The Haitian Methodist Church, which is a partner of The United Church of Canada, along with congregations and outreach ministries in the hardest hit areas of the country, is responding by supplying first aid, medical supplies, water, temporary shelters, and food. Thanks to previous donors to the Global Emergency Response fund, The United Church of Canada made an immediate grant of $10,000.

This latest disaster is pushing the death toll close to 2,000, with more than 9,000 people injured and over 680,000 estimated in need of emergency humanitarian assistance. The crisis is straining resources already stretched by the pandemic, political instability, and previous natural disasters.

The United Church is also in contact with long-time partner, the Karl Leveque Cultural Institute, that reports while members of their community are safe, many of them lost their livestock, and their homes were damaged or destroyed. “We expect to hear more in the coming days from both partners and we’ll be able to give United Church members updates as we receive them,” says Christie Neufeldt, Caribbean and Latin America Global Partnership Coordinator. Neufeldt adds, “As in the case of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, partners of the United Church work with communities to respond not only in the immediate emergency but in the longer work of the recovery and reconstruction.”

The United Church, as a member of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, has joined the Humanitarian Coalition in asking for Canadians to give to help those impacted by the crisis.