Scottish Catholic Observer

SCIAF is sending £20,000 to aid those who have been affected by the Haiti hurricane disaster.

After a horrific level of damage to local communities, the charity has donated in the hope that it will help to rebuild the lives of those involved.

SCIAF Director Alistair Dutton said: 
“The people of Haiti are in our thoughts and prayers as they recover from this devastating hurricane. We have spoken to our partners and have immediately released £20,000 to help those who need it urgently. We will continue to explore how we can help them and the people they work with deal with the current situation and recover in the long term. As ever, massive thanks for the generosity of so many people in Scotland who make this kind of response possible.”

The death toll currently sits at over 450, and over 61,000 people are living in homeless shelters. Local industries and farms have been destroyed, with vast areas of crops wiped out by the flooding.

The flooding has also left many areas in the south-east of the country cut off due to the floods. Telephone lines are also down.

Haiti also suffered an earthquake in 2010 which killed thousands. The country also suffered a cholera outbreak shortly after.

Dr. Alex Belneau works with SCIAF to help vulnerable children in Haiti receive an education. He said: “The overall situation is catastrophic. We can barely move because of the flooding, trees lying in different places, and bridges that have washed away and cut access to many communities.”