Relief news update from Haiti - 9 Feb 2010  
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Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association relief news update from Haiti.
It has now been a month since the devastating earthquake in this vulnerable country, where hundreds of thousands have died, one million are homeless, and many more are still in need of basic food and water, much less a means to earn a living.

Supreme Master Television reports on the situation in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital which was very near the 7.0 magnitude temblor’s epicenter.

Correspondent (F): We’re here now where it was a gas station. Everything is totally devastated. There’s no way to get in here, and as you can see, there were cars in this gas station when the earthquake occurred.

Business owner (M): There is nothing. We are trying to survive, I tell you, with hands, fingers, a shovel.
Excuse me. (Don’t worry.)

Correspondent (F): We’re here in the epicenter where everything happened. Behind me is what used to be a factory that is totally collapsed. The people in Haiti don’t have anything to take the bodies from the inside.
They don’t have the machines to do this. They don’t have electricity either.
They don’t have food,
they don’t have water,
they don’t have anything.
They don’t have a family,
they don’t have a house because all of what was the house, it looks like this right now.

Victim (F): I’ve not been well because I suffer from headaches: My aunt died, my uncle died, my father died, my child died and look now how we live! We are poor; if we were rich, they would extract the bodies for us; we do not have money. I sleep in the streets. I do not have a roof to sleep, I make up tarps and also, from time to time I go fetch an item from under the house so that I can sleep.

Correspondent (F): Reporting from Haiti for Supreme Master Television.

VOICE: Sharing the Haitian people’s grief and struggles, Supreme Master Ching Hai responded with donations totaling US$60,000 to date. She has urged the medical professionals of our Association to go and attend to the injured patients’ surgical and other needs. Combined funds that have also been contributed by our Association members worldwide now total more than US$271,000 and could acquire US$9.7 million in materials in the United States, based on Haiti’s cost of living.

With most covering their own travel expenses, more of our Association members have arrived from across the globe bringing medical, nursing, translation and other skills.

While continuing to provide patient care and serve hot vegan meals for everyone at the major hospital in Carrefour, the relief team has also expanded food provision to other areas where some of the most afflicted victims were staying.

Per Supreme Master Ching Hai’s request for updates, the following report is from our Association's relief team in Haiti.

February 6, 2010
Most Beloved Master,
We were deeply concerned about the children and families not having enough medical attention or food to eat and thus we are very blessed to report that the hospital is very supportive of our medical caregivers.

We also have skilled helpers and dental equipment to provide further care, and with the new arrival of nurses and others to help during the night shift, we are able to reach more people.

Although space is limited, the patients are also grateful even as they line the hallways.
We were able to serve many of the 600 families at a camp near where we are, bringing foods such as rice, beans, sugar, oil, salt, wheat flour, and cornmeal.

After distributing food for about 150 families, due to unfavorable events at the camp we were asked to halt our efforts. However, the police soon redirected us to an area where the most desperate people were living in the streets without any shelter or possessions.

When the word spread that we were distributing food by the police station, the people lined up peacefully and joyfully, because we were the first group to give them food, whereas before they had received only water.

They had been hungry, especially the children, but now they have something to eat for a few days. The recipients smiled and sent their appreciation and love to Master, giving thanks to God for hearing to their prayers.

We are also delivering items to three more shelters with hundreds more families.
We are humble and grateful for having been guided to those most in need. In more good news, the DHL freight coordinator has been very helpful to expedite our shipments, knowing that they are for Haiti recovery efforts.

Thus, 20 pallets of dried foods and cooking equipment are on their way and will enable our cooking team to increase the volume of healthy, delicious vegan meals served.
Also, toys such as crayons, tops, hair ties for the girls, plastic bracelets, baseballs, etc. have been brought for the kids here to brighten their days and ease the suffering in the Haitian communities. We are deeply touched by the outreach of care pouring in from our centers around the world.

Most of all, we express deep appreciation to Master for her love that is bringing comfort to so many Haitian people at this time.

Relief team in Haiti

VOICE: We thank Supreme Master Ching Hai for allowing us to share this information as well as our Association’s Foreign Group providing this report.

Our appreciation goes to the international governments, groups and individuals for your concerted efforts to assist the quake-stricken people.

We are grateful also for Supreme Master Ching Hai’s concerned assistance, and for the dedication of our Association’s relief team. May these challenging times for the Haitian people soon pass to become safe and stable, as such traumatic events are minimized through our kinder regard toward all life
and the Earth.