Haiti is also needing assistance.
A 7.2 earthquake disaster will capture almost anyone’s attention. There was one last Saturday(August 14, 2021) about 100 miles from the Capitol city Port au Prince.
This island country faces hurricanes nearly every year due to its location. Perhaps the only time you hear about Haiti is when there IS a hurricane, or major political disruption.
I invite you to give attention today. Not only is this tropical island hot, it has glorious beaches and breathtaking mountains. Look at a map to understand a little bit about the normal challenges to transportation.
This was a substantial earthquake.
The entire western border of Haiti is the sea! It is about 60 miles across water to eastern rural Cuba. There are no boat companies that make this trip. Likewise, there are no commercial boats from Haiti to Florida , which is about 800 miles north of this island.
The country depends on profitable beach vacations for a primary source of income. There are no ferries or small boats to rely upon. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, there were two major cruise lines which have private docks. I don’t know if they have resumed activities.
The eastern side of Haiti borders on the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola. Christopher Columbus colonized this island.
Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Its crime rate is also the highest, often with armed gangs. The language most spoken is French Creole whereas in the neighboring Dominican Republic the primary language is Spanish.
The government has an unstable history and many years of corruption impede international aide. 95% of the people are of African origin. Most of these people are poor and live in small rural villages with minimal access to electricity or clean water, even in normal conditions.
I have never been to Haiti. I learned this from various students and missionaries who have lived there. As a consequence, I have studied the history of this beleaguered yet beautiful island.
I invite you to pray 🙏 for these people too.
While you are thinking of people in need of assistance, remember those in North Carolina where major flooding has caused extensive damage. Estimates today about costs to recover might be around $3.9 million dollars.
Meanwhile, the wildfires in Northern California continue beyond control. Many people have been evacuated. Excessive heat compounds the damages to property and risks to firefighters.
So, there are many people in need of courage and comfort AND basic things like food, shelter, water and clean air. Sadly, this is not going away very soon.
We live on this planet 🌎 Earth and must mend our ways to better care for people, plants, animals and our homes on Earth.
🌻🙏🌟
