Letter from Jeremie – February 8th
My father and I write to you today from Jérémie, Haiti. On Saturday morning, we woke up at 4 AM to the sound of voices singing from all directions—the town rallying together in prayer for those lost and injured in the earthquake. I am told that the 4 AM vigils will continue daily until February12th, which will mark the one-month anniversary of this tragedy that has gripped all of Haiti.
HHF president and founder, Dr. Jeremiah Lowney, greets two girls who arrive at Jérémie on the Trois Rivières boat from Port-au-Prince.
Then, at 6 AM, we witnessed the heartbreaking scene of the Trois Rivières boat slowly moving to the wharf with 3,000 more people arriving from Port-au-Prince. In a scene that has been repeated many times since January 12th, they were clinging to railings—many with blank faces wondering what they would be facing in the town of Jérémie.
HHF Providing Vital Services
Pregnant women and mothers breastfeeding their babies, children with no shoes and only a t-shirt, and men who appeared to still be dirty and exhausted from days in the rubble of Port-au-Prince—what horrors had they seen? We will never begin to imagine. But the Haitian Health Foundation’s staff was there on the dock, active and ready to respond with medical consultations and general care for the hungry and traumatized. The passengers on the most recent trips have had fewer injuries than the earlier boats, we were told.
Just the day before, our visit to the overcrowded hospital showed scores of people who had barely survived—one woman sat trembling, with two broken legs which had yet to be set, in unimaginable pain after three weeks since the earthquake. We can take pride in HHF’s instrumental role in supplying the hospital with medical supplies from our own stock and procuring materiel from other agencies and NGOs.
Two women leave an HHF distribution site with sacks of earthquake-relief food for their families.
While there are no official estimates of how many people have come to the area, the mayor of Jérémie estimated that 120,000 have already returned to the Grand’Anse, with 50,000 to families in Jérémie and HHF’s catchment area. With numbers like these, our challenge really has just begun.
Even with so many people making the trek into the Grand’Anse, it’s surprising not to see tent cities popping up. This is a testament to the people of Haiti who are sharing what little they have to bring comfort to those from Port-au-Prince. They have opened their homes—some employees’ families have increased in size by 15-17 people—and HHF is already helping to feed and care for these new arrivals.
A bird's-eye view of an HHF distribution of earthquake-relief food in an HHF-supported village. There have been no reports of disturbances or unrest among the Haitian people at our distribution sites.
Meeting the Challenge
As can be seen in the photo at left, we already have our network of HHF employees dispensing aid to thousands of people. We are distributing food—rice, beans, bulgur, soy, and oil—to those who have the most need, including families bringing in the largest numbers of relatives into their village homes. We continue to provide health care to many of the displaced—for example, 160 pregnant women were seen in the village of Dayere, and 90% of those were from Port-au-Prince and had never had prenatal check-ups, vitamins, or immunizations (all standard services for pregnant women within our catchment area). We continue to work to open more lines to provide food, medical supplies, and other relief materials from NGOs, international relief organizations, and, wherever possible, with local merchants.
It is impossible to describe the subdued atmosphere that we have found here, other than a profound aura of loss and shock among nearly everyone, even three weeks after the earthquake. The people here—including our HHF employees and volunteers—are resilient and strong and are working tirelessly to support those arriving from Port-au-Prince and, of course, each other.
But there can be no mistake: Even in the town of Jérémie the effect of the earthquake has hit hard and deep, and we all are faced with the formidable challenge of caring for our neighbors in need.
E. Marilyn Lowney
Executive Director
Haitian Health Foundation
P.S.
One thing is abundantly clear from our visit: We have a long and difficult road ahead to integrate the sudden influx of thousands of people into HHF’s programs. This challenge is made more difficult because the earthquake has already left the front pages of our newspapers and is no longer the lead story on cable news. The absence of visible tent cities in southwest Haiti will make it difficult to generate continued interest the plight of those we serve. But we urge you to keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts, prayers, and charity.
Another scene from an HHF village food distribution site during post-earthquake relief efforts in the Grand'Anse. The cooperation between the Haitian people—even from those who have so little—was no less than inspiring to recent visitors to Jérémie.
