Jesuits in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti have mobilized in both countries to organize their relief effort in Haiti. Together with a number of religious and secular organizations they have established various committees to oversee each aspect of the response: health, volunteers, communication, relations with Haiti, reconstruction, contact with donors and fundraising.

These activities are being streamlined through six locations in the two countries where the Society of Jesus is present: Santo Domingo, Santiago de los Caballeros, Port-au-Prince, Dajabon, Jacmel and Pedernales. This is making it possible to deliver aid to more people in an efficient and organized manner.

From Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince:

The Jesuit Centro Bonó in Santo Domingo, DR, has been set up as a collection centre for supplies to be taken to Haiti. The center receives donations from other collection points established by the organizations that are part of the ad hoc Platform Help to Haiti.

Food items as well as water, hygiene items and medicines, have been collected in two warehouses. Here they are sorted and prepared for transportation either to Barahona, a city in the southern part of the DR near the Haitian border where they are then moved into Haiti , or directly to Port-au-Prince.

In conjunction with the Dominican authorities and the United Nations Mission for the Stability of Haiti (MINUSTAH), a committee has been established in the border province of Jimani in the south to coordinate transportation from the Dominican Republic to Haitian territory. So far 8 containers weighing approximately 20 thousand tons each have been sent to Port-au-Prince through Jimani.

In Port au Prince, the Jesuit Novitiate is one of the centre for aid relief. A network of civil society organizations from the Dominican Republic are coordinating the relief activities together with the Jesuits in the area. Tents have been set up in the courtyard for medical volunteers to sleep in, and trucks unload their goods at the novitiate as well. The main activities focus on emergency assistance, delivery of food, medicine, hygiene kits, providing a place to sleep, and being a supportive presence.

Pedernales-Jacmel

Activities in Jacmel have largely been channeled through Pedernales, which still has some of its communication infrastructure intact. With the support of the Navy and local authorities, the port of Cabo Rojo is used as the access.

On January 18, the first aid arrived to the city of Jacmel in four boats. The first three brought 33 kilos of food, medicines, 1,600 tents, trucks and other equipment to remove debris. The fourth brought 60 tons of food, medicine and 48 French doctors coordinated by Plan International. According to reports from the Dominican Red Cross in Jacmel, 11,958 people were displ style="font-weight:bold"aced. There are 2,591 uninhabitable homes and 8,335 still intact.

Santiago-Haitien Cape

In Santiago de los Caballeros, the Jesuit Social Center has coordinated its work with Caritas Dominican Republic. On the 17th of January, twelve trucks, over twenty feet long and 7 containers forty feet long, arrived at the collection centers. They held canned foods, water, medicine, orthopedic equipment and other materials. These items were handed over to Caritas and CRS-Haiti, with whom the Jesuits are working in Haiti.

Some of the material will be taken to Cape Haitien and Gonaibes, where many of the victims and wounded have arrived, to support the hospitals which are full and need additional food and medical supplies.

Dajabon- Cape Haitien Port-au Prince

The work in this are is done in collaboration with the Provincial Government of Dajabon, and representatives of public and private institutions, including The Women's Association of New Hope (ASOMUNEDA). A team was set up to provide education and information to the public on what to do in case of continuing aftershocks.