The people of Haiti are showing “an unparalleled solidarity” helping those injured in the January 12th earthquake and sharing food and water. Two weeks after the devastating quake that killed over 200,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless, aid supplies are pouring in and distribution is under way. But survivors, especially the most vulnerable, remain in desperate need. Fr Kawas Francois SJ, a member of the Jesuit community in Haiti, told JRS USA: “Without this solidarity – spontaneous and effective – I don’t see how people could survive.”

The generosity is flanked by deep trauma. “The impact and consequences of the disaster on Haitian society are immeasurable,” continued Fr Kawas. “All our institutions: the State, government, churches including the Catholic Church, hospitals, schools, banking and commerce, have suffered a blow without precedent. Morally and psychologically, the population has suffered a deep trauma. It will take a long time to recover.”

Kawas Francois SJ, tending to some wounded in the community.

Artur Suski, a Jesuit novice who is a member of the Province of English Canada and currently at the Jesuit novitiate in Haiti, writes about “despair”, especially in downtown Port-au-Prince as people “don’t know what is to become of them”.

As the Haitian government and international officials in Haiti draft plans to rebuild the impoverished country, Fr Kawas said all Haitians should play a foremost role in this challenge: “We are convinced that rebuilding the country is first and foremost a national issue. It is not the business of government alone. The main actors must be the Haitians themselves, all Haitians without distinction. Haitian civil society in all its components must be mobilized to assist in the rebuilding of Haiti.”

Meanwhile, emergency assistance continues. There are hundreds of camps for displaced people in Port-au-Prince. The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in collaboration with the Jesuits of Haiti and Dominican Republic is supporting six centres assisting between 2,000 and 5,000 people each. “We give them food, medicine and care from medical volunteers who come from the United States and the Dominican Republic,” Fr Wismith Lazard SJ told JRS USA.

Until recently, the Jesuit novitiate in Port-au-Prince served as a food distribution centre. This service has now moved to another location. “We still have many families living here, as well as a whole team of American doctors, nurses, firemen, and ex-army personnel,” said Artur, who has been organizing medical supplies for the American team. Volunteers from the Dominican Republic have now returned home, “partly because they have to resume their daily tasks there, and partly because they need a break. It has been a very intense time here.”

The Jesuit novice painted a grim picture of the situation in Port-au-Prince. “Supermarkets are still closed, so the only food that people get is from distributions, if they're lucky to get some, and private sales off the streets. Some banks are open though line-ups are huge as people are trying to take some money out to buy what they can.”

Some text courtesy of JRS USA www.jrsusa.org
Photo Source: Jesuit Province of French Canada www.jesuites.org