First came tropical storm Faye, followed by hurricanes Gustav and Hanna.  Haiti is being pounded again and again by the elements and the consequences are dire. 

The St. Boniface Hospital is the one place in Fond des Blancs where we usually don't have to worry during storms.  After all, one benefit of having your own generator is that you do not lose power in a storm!  Unfortunately, with hurricane Hanna following close on the heels of Gustav, the unthinkable happened.  We ran out of fuel for the generator.  Roads were washed out and the national highway in Gonaive was under 3 meters of water.  People climbed onto rooftops to escape the raging waters.  Not only could fuel not get through, but more importantly, food could not be distributed.  People were cold and hungry, all of their belongings were soaked with rain, houses had fallen down, and they had nothing to eat.  It will be weeks or months before trucks can travel over their usual routes bringing goods to the backcountry.  Washed out gardens will produce no food.  The situation is desperate.  

St. Boniface Haiti Foundation workers are extremely busy contacting large aid organizations in an urgent effort to get food and shelter for the most vulnerable in Fond des Blancs.  One can only imagine the horror of being in a shaky, mud hut with a thatched roof in pounding rain and hurricane winds.  A large cooler left outside filled to overflowing with 14 inches of rain the first night.  The next night was just as bad.  Only days after Gustav, Hurricane Hanna stuck with even more force and more water.  There is no doubt that many homes collapsed or were seriously damaged, exposing their inhabitants to the harshest of elements.  Think of the women, children, and elderly.  Will their neighbors, huddled in leaky houses themselves, take them in?  Will there be room to sit down?  Will the floor be a sea of mud?  The sheer misery of it makes one sick at heart.  Not one thing that they own is dry.  Countless banana trees have blown over.  Eventually, goats, chickens, and livestock begin to die.  Man and beast have been in the eye of the hurricane, stalled over Fond des Blancs. 

We are counting on you to help these people with your generous gift today.  Please click here to make an emergency donation to provide relief in this catastrophic situation.

For more about Hurricane Gustav's effect on Fond des Blancs click here to read Ellen's Blog.