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Reports from the Field in Haiti
Jesuit Response to the Earthquake in Haiti
Canadian Jesuits International is receiving daily updates on the tragic aftermath of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. Fr Kawas François, a Haitian Jesuit responsible for the Social Apostolate work of the Jesuits in Haiti, is sending regular dispatches by email with his account of the events of the last few days. These eyewitness accounts remain largely unedited with the exception of our translations from French to English. The French version is available through the Province of Jesuits in French Canada. [Version française]
An update from Miller Lamonthe, a Jesuit delegate from the Dominican Republic, writes to us with updates from the relief effort in Haiti and the health of fellow Jesuit Sainfariste Dérino. Dérino had been missing after the earthquake was found and is being treated for his injuries. January 18 We have had more news about Derino from the Dominican Republic. He has renal failure, and has to have dialysis. Depending on his condition, he will be operated on in a few days. He is in the emergency room very near to the religious community MCR that Delsen has moved into Dominican Republic. A Haitian nurse of the same community is with them. All our scholastics arrived with Martin to try to see their families. Maxon has not been able to locate his family members. Jean Bertin's sister, her husband and their child are still beneath the rubble of their home. There is no hope that they are still alive. From time to time the earth quakes and so the house shakes also. It is terrifying. We have many people who are coming from the Dominican Republic, doctors and volunteers. Two big trailers have just arrived from the Dominican Republic. We have dismantled the barrier which leads to the highway to make it possible to cross the ground opposite in order to be able to enter the novitiate grounds. Fortunately, we had cleaned up the ground opposite. We hope that the security people come this evening for safety, otherwise it will be dangerous for us. Mario Serrano is with us. Kawas has just told me that there will be a special meeting of the committee and our partner priests and religious at the novitiate. The apostolic nuncio came to visit us this evening. He is doing this for all the communities, a fine act on his part. Since Tuesday he has been very active and tries to console the people. There will be funeral services for Archbishop Miot on January 23rd.
In union of prayer, News of Jesuit Novice Dérino Saintfariste who had been missing in the first hours after the earthquake has continued to reach our offices from Jesuits in Haiti. Nonó, as he is known by all, was found wounded after the earthquake and continues to receive treatment for his injuries. Fellow Jesuit Max Michel writes about this bit of good news that their Jesuit community has received as they continue to help those around them in dire need. Hello dear friends. Like it was reported, it has been a good hour since we received an update from the hospital about Nonó, and the news is very good. He came out of the operating room after an hour and twenty minutes, and because he received an epidural that allowed for no feeling in the pelvic area, he woke up smiling. The surgeon’s comments were very positive after spending hours of uncertainty, because the injured tissues in the leg were in better condition than originally thought. They thought they would find a lot of tissue destroyed because of the blocks that crushed and trapped him… He hopes that in the next hours, with the help of antibiotics, that Nonó will fight the infection and be on the mend. In 48 hours Nonó will return to the hospital to have his wounds cleaned and evaluated, and maybe have them sutured if things go well (they had to leave his wounds open to drain the excess fluid that was accumulating in the inside of his very swollen leg). For the next few days Nonó will need to continue to dialyse, a process he started even before the operation because his kidneys were blocked. We hope that in a couple of days, once the infection passes, that his kidneys will return to their normal function. Tomorrow Berthony and Jorge Cela will look after him because tonight we are all staying at the house. We all cannot accompany him to intensive care, and so have decided to get a good night’s sleep (if he needs our help, he has our telephone numbers, and we can join him right away). Once Berthony is in the room (without a doubt, in one or two days if things progress favourably like we all hope) we will also sit with him during the night. I leave you by giving thanks with you to the Lord that Nonó’s state of health is much more positive at the end of this day than it was at the beginning, when we decided to postpone the operation because of his general state. The more we knew, the more we understood that he had to fight the clock in order to save his leg. This evening we breathe easier! Best wishes, my Brothers, in hoping that this small piece of good news will be one of many in this time of great distress.
Max Michel, s.j. News from Canadian Jesuit Novices in Haiti Edmund Lo and Artur Suski are two Jesuit novices from the Province of Jesuits in English Canada who only recently arrived in Haiti to work there. Here are some excerpts from Artur’s message to us from Haiti sent on Saturday January 16, four days after the earthquake.
Edmund Lo and I arrived here in Haiti on January 5th, and we came with the intention of staying until June 1st. Two days after arriving at Port-Au-Prince. we started working at the Jesuit-run High School, St-Ignace, teaching grades 7 to 12, We were supposed to teach English, Organic Chemistry (both of us studied Sciences, Edmund has a Masters in Neuroscience from UBC, and I have an Honors B.Sc. in Molecular Biology from McMaster University), and also lead the physical education program, organizing basketball practices. On the day of the earthquake, we went to school as normal, and when it struck, we were at our house in the Delmas 31 district. We were on the second floor. The floor began literally to 'swim', that was my experience of it. There were loud crashes around us since both of our neighbors’ houses crashed, and a third house was partially damaged. Our house was left unharmed except for a few cracks but these aren't very serious. Right after the earthquake, many injured and wounded Haitians came to us and we cleaned and tended their wounds with our first-aid kits, with water and rubbing alcohol, as well as with Iodine, we cleaned the wounds, then we applied bandages. I would say at least 12-15 people from our neighborhood came to us . The wounds were mostly to the head. Some wounds were as big as 1.5 cm wide, and the skull was visible. They were very serious. Currently there is aid coming in, much of it, but they are not at the level of distributing it everywhere. At our local level, we haven't seen any of the aid, nor have other local districts. I hear that the port is damaged and so it is taking a long time for them to come in. Also the airport is very small and so a limited number of planes can land. Surprisingly, the mood isn't that negative, people sing at nights, mostly religious hymns, they dance, and they try to stay positive, though there is a tension in the air because of the lack of food. NONE OF THE SUPERMARKETS ARE OPEN!!! The only food that can be bought is off the streets, where people sell fruits, vegetables, etc. For 2 million people, this isn't enough, and some Haitians have raised the prices significantly trying to make a profit of this disaster!! This is what is terrible. People don't work and so they cannot afford to pay almost twice as much for their basic foods. Water is also scarce, but today they finally opened the water station in the neighborhood, though I don't know how long the water will last since they have to deliver it on a regular basis. People are afraid to be indoors, though some houses remained untouched. As for my community of four Jesuits, three of us, Edmund, Ramiro (A Spanish Jesuit) and myself, all stay indoors for the night and we are not scared that the house will cave in, though the fourth member is very scared to enter the house at times, so he sleeps outside on the street, in the car. Today Edmund and I went to work with the Missionaries of Charity (the religious community founded by Mother Theresa. We went down into the slums to tend the wounded and give out medicine, antibiotics, and cleaning wounds, as well as giving out clothing etc. We also helped transport very wounded people to the hospital. The hospital situation is a very grim one: there are NOT ENOUGH DOCTORS here, people are dying before they get to them at times, and others, by the time they get there, they are so infected that they will surely die. Today, when we arrived with a few people, the doctors looked at them and said: these three (out of four people) will die for sure. What can we do? We did our best to get them there, but too late. Artur  15 January 2010 - Moon A few pieces of information : The premises of Foie et Joie have not been badly damaged. The caretaker, his wife, and his child are well. We are still waiting for Wismith Lazard and his team from Ouanaminthe along with Father Regino and his Dominican colleagues. We will have a reunion with them. Our emergency cell phone has started to work. In our first meeting, we have identified the strategic places where the teams supported by the Jesuits will be travelling.
This emergency aid will start to arrive either tonight or tomorrow morning. It will come from Moreno and from his team from Santo Domingo, and probably also from the team of SJRM in the north (Ouanaminthe-Dajabon), and elsewhere. We will see how to coordinate our efforts with the other authorities in place: the Miustah, the NGOs, the State, the international organizations etc.
Until later! 14 January 2010 - Afternoon Greetings! The situation is becoming more critical in Port-au-Prince. People lack everything: water, food, blankets, tents. They sleep in the streets. In shock, they are afraid of going into houses. Experts advise that they should stay away their homes for some time. People are still under the rubble. There are dead people in the streets and under the rubble. The sanitary conditions are deteriorating. Quick intervention is needed to prevent a humanitarian disaster. Help is slow to arrive. Only this morning some U.S. planes and a helicopter arrived. A small group of government representatives met but there has been no action so far. We appeal to the International Red Cross to come with team and organize the relief. I just went around the city. I met with the Apostolic Nuncio. We made an assessment of the situation. The Catholic Church in Port-au-Prince is strongly affected: The Archbishop and the Vicar General are dead, some priests, nuns and six, seminarians are also dead. The two buildings of the Seminary, Cazeau and Turgeau, collapsed. Several churches and rectories, several major local colleges belonging to religious congregations collapsed. The earthquake affected mainly the following municipalities: Port-au-Prince, Delmas, Carrefour, Cité Soleil. Other municipalities (Tabarre, Petion-Ville) are less affected, but with significant damage. I could identify Dérino Saintfariste SJ this morning. Debris of a large building fell on the car where he was traveling. He was injured in the head and other parts of his body. His legs are injured. He is currently in a small center near Villa Manresa and we are taking care of him. We want to send him to the Dominican Republic with the Jesuits there. I am currently with father Mario Serrano SJ, Director of Centro Bono in the Dominican Republic, who is with us in Port-au-Prince to help organizing the relief. You can pass this information to others.
Thank you 14 January 2010 - Morning I am writing to update you on the situation of the Jesuits in the area: Ouanaminthe: Pedro Arrupe's residence and work (Solidarité Fwontalié et Foi et Joie) suffered no damage. All Jesuits and lay employees are fine. However, they are worried about the situation of their colleagues in Port-au-Prince. Communication is still impossible by phone. I stay in touch with them via the Internet. Biassou: Karl Lévêquee residence is intact, the house was not damaged and the Jesuits are fine: Ramiro Brillaire, Arthur and Edmund. The house next door to the left has been destroyed. I (Kawas) remain at Canapé-Vert. Perhaps I will return to Biassou tomorrow. The Jesuits have been trying to rescue their neighbors. Canapé-Vert: The Ignatius Loyola residence has been only slightly damaged and the Jesuits are doing well. I have been with them since yesterday evening. All are in shock : Marcel, Gogo, Jean-Marie Louis and the candidates. Neighboring houses have been destroyed, some of them entirely. We still have not received any news from Dérino Saintfariste. We will try to locate him this afternoon. We have been assisting neighbors in need. They spent the night with us in the garden. We believe that Brother Charley Mathurin, SJ is fine in Dulagon, given that the earthquake had not struck hard the Department of Artibonite. The Novitiate Tabarre: The house is a little damaged. The water tank that was on the roof collapsed and caused some damage. Fr Master Miller Lamothe, Delsen Innocent, P. Andre Charbonneau, the first year novices and all retreatants are fine. Brillaire, of the Karl Leveque residence, took the opportunity to visit them. Support Group for Rural Development (GADRU) : The house was destroyed. Jean-Marie and the lay collaborators were able to leave the house at the time of the earthquake. They are fine. Kawas Francois, SJ
"Things are so difficult in Haiti. I will keep you informed. Houses destroyed, death. People are crying. The relief doen’t come yet. There is no communication in Port-au-Prince. I do not have all informations about the jesuits in Haiti. I will write soon. – Pray for us. This brief and hurried message sent by Kawas Francois at 6:14 am on Wednesday to a colleague in the US gives a glimpse of the urgency of the situation. In more recent communication, Kawas noted that the thousands of survivors in the streets are without food and water and continue to do what they can to search for those trapped in the rubble and to aid the wounded. He expresses an urgent need for medical supplies, food and water for the survivors.
Jesuits in Haiti are already trying to respond to the immediate needs of the population. The Regional Director of JRS in Latin America and the Caribbean confirms that the JRS office in the Dominican Republic will coordinate its relief effort, working closely with JRS in Haiti, as well as with the Jesuits of Haiti, local parishes in affected areas and various humanitarian organizations. CJI is asking for support which will be directed to the Jesuit Refugee Service and to the local Jesuits. Donations can be made through the donations section of our website or by calling our toll free number 1 800 448-2148 or by writing to cji@jesuits.ca. |
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News from the Montreal office of the Province of Jesuits in French Canada confirm that all the Jesuits in the Canapé Vert Jesuit community are accounted for except for Dérino Sainfariste, who was not in the house at the time of the quakes. We are still awaiting word from Jesuits in the other communities. BBC News confirms reports that Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot (pictured) of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, was killed when the cathedral, collapsed. The diocese’s vicar general, Monsignor Benoit, is also reported missing.