Tag Archives: haiti

November 8, 2011 · 9:56 AM

En Haïti, à Trianon, la santé devient accessible.

L’ingénieur Marcelin Esterlin et le père Jean Serdieu. Le père dit « ce centre est le fruit des sacrifices de la communauté, de la solidarité de la population de Trianon et est un premier pas important vers le renouveau de notre région. »

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Par Ryan Worms

En ce samedi 5 novembre, la population de Trianon est en fête. C’est aujourd’hui qu’a lieu l’inauguration du centre de santé de la Caritas Hinche –Trianon, un événement majeur pour cette petite communauté de la région du Plateau central en Haïti.

Désormais, les populations de Trianon et des localités avoisinantes n’auront plus à voyager parfois durant plus de trois jours pour trouver où se soigner. Elles pourront recevoir dans ce nouveau centre de santé les vaccinations et une attention médicale 7 jours sur 7, 24h par jour. Les femmes pourront bénéficier d’un suivi prénatal et d’un accompagnement professionnel lors des accouchements. Une salle d’hospitalisation pourra également recevoir et traiter les cas les plus urgents pour une courte durée avant d’être transférés si nécessaire vers des centres hospitaliers plus importants. Continue reading →

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January 12, 2011 · 9:22 AM

Haiti mourns its loss one year after quake

Cardinal Robert Sarah, president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, assured Haitians on the one-year anniversary of the Port-au-Prince earthquake that they are not alone in their sufferings. Photo by Alsy Acevedo/CRS

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Homily of Cardinal Robert Sarah, President of Pontifical Council Cor Unum

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

(Hebrews 2:14-18; Psalms 105:1-2, 3-4, 8-9; Mark 1:29-39)

Cher tout people Haïtien:

Moin poté la pé ak Ké Kontan Gran Mèt la pou nou.

Dear Haitian people,

I bring you the peace and joy of the Lord.

Exactly one year after the devastating earthquake that struck this dear country of Haiti, I come to you on behalf of the Holy Father. Through my presence, Pope Benedict XVI wishes to demonstrate his nearness to you. We are still in mourning for thousands of people who were dear to us: children, parents, brothers and sisters, as well as priests, religious and seminarians, including our Father and Brother, Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, Archbishop of Port-au-Prince. All of these victims loved life just as much as we do. They lost it full of fear and in great pain. Some of them had family ties with you, and you are still mourning them. In an instant, many thousands of you lost all your possessions and today still don’t know how to plan a future life. Many remarkable buildings and monuments, some of them religious, lie in ruins. I’m thinking in particular of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, which once stood in the very place we are gathered today. Sickness and death continue to strike you. The joy of living seems to have been shattered by this tragedy caused by a natural disaster, and not by a divine curse. Continue reading →

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December 7, 2010 · 5:16 PM

Haiti’s bishops on elections

English |French

By the Bishops of Haiti

Dear brothers and sisters, beloved in Christ and the mother country,

On the day on which we commemorate the “discovery of Haiti”, the Church wishes to invite all Haitians both here and elsewhere to rediscover their values as a people. These include:

  • the spirit of fraternity and unity that stems from the birth of our national history
  • the spirit of sacrifice that characterises our culture
  • the generosity that binds together family and interpersonal ties
  • the trust in God and ourselves that helps us to overcome countless ordeals.

In the face of economic, social and political difficulties, we cannot afford to get bogged down in complicated discussions. Now is the time to pull ourselves together and find paths of mutual trust, tolerance, truth, justice and peace in order to make progress. All of this is needed to free up a country that is paralysed, largely due to our internal quarrels.
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March 10, 2010 · 11:31 AM

Haiti quake: Healing the whole person

Human contact was key as Caritas Lebanon staff set about building trust with survivors in Haiti. Being able to tell your story is key to overcoming trauma. Credit CLMC


Available in French

By Caritas Lebanon staff

Our team of three staff from the Caritas Lebanon Migrants’ Center (CLMC) left for a mission to Haiti to offer counselling support to quake survivors. Psycho-social support is not always a priority in an emergency. It is help of utmost importance though. Our mission was to show people that they are important. To show that there is someone who wishes to help them overcome the trauma and walk with them in the path of grief and then recovery.

We imagined ourselves as valiant knights in shining armour, who will bring about change in their lives. After all, we had the knowledge, the experience and the willingness. It turned out that yes, we were the catalysts of change, but a change in which Haitians contributed. A change in our lives as well, not only in the Haitians we met. It is really hard to express our feelings, but this was an enriching experience for us.

We were certainly taken aback upon our arrival to Port-au-Prince on January 30 to see all the sad but smiling faces. We had expected to see a broken people. Instead, we found proud and loving people with an extraordinary faith. We never thought that the words “God”, “love” and “faith” could be so tangibly felt when dealing with people, when visiting them in camps, hospitals or at work or in the streets.
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March 4, 2010 · 1:26 PM

Haiti Quake: Love thy neighbour

Mexican resuers in the rubble of Port-au-Prince. Credit: Caritas/Katie Orlinsky

Available in Spanish and French

Mexico knows what it means to be hit by a major earthquake. In 1985, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck the country killing 10,000 people and causing major damage to the capital.

Mexico has generously opened its arms to Haiti following the massive earthquake which hit its Latin American neighbour in January.

The people of Mexico have sent four thousand tonnes of aid since the disaster. They have sent food, water and medicines that collected through donations to parishes. Caritas has been one of the main channels for this aid into Haiti. Continue reading →

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March 2, 2010 · 10:47 AM

Helping Haiti’s orphans

Lesley Fucand faces up to the massive of damage caused by Haiti's earthquake

Available in French

“I no longer know how to feed and clothe them”

Before the 12th January earthquake, there were more than 350,000 orphans in Haiti. The disaster has left thousands more children without parents. Here we meet the director of one of the orphanages that Caritas is helping.

By Mathilde Magnier

Lesley Fucand is a survivor. At first sight you can’t tell what he’s been through, but then you notice the terrible injury to his leg and his slight limp. And then you see how drawn and totally exhausted he looks.

Since the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince  and left 230,000 dead, Lesley hasn’t had a minute’s peace. As head of one of the numerous orphanages in the capital, this retired American of Haitian origin has only one thing in mind: finding a home for  the children he looks after. It’s a vital issue for a country which had 350,000 orphans before the earthquake. According to Unicef there are now around one thousand more just in Port-au-Prince.

Lesley’s life was deeply affected by the earthquake. His house and car were destroyed, but more importantly, four of the 22 children in his orphanage have died. Three died from their injuries and one girl was never even rescued from the rubble. The 18 remaining children were obviously deeply affected.
Continue reading →

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March 1, 2010 · 4:08 PM

Haiti earthquake response a symbol of solidarity

Caritas Internationalis President Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga greeting Caritas Haiti President Bishop Pierre-André Dumas at Toussaint Louverture Airport, Port-au-Prince, on Monday February 22. Credit:Caritas

By Oscar Andrés Cardinal Rodríguez Maradiaga, S.D.B.

As President of Caritas Internationalis, I visited Haiti in February to offer solidarity with the people and to take aid from my home country of Honduras on behalf of our supporters.

When I arrived in Port-au-Prince, I was shocked because the tragedy and devastation were even greater than what I had seen in the media.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, Archbishop Bernardito Auza; the president of Caritas Haiti, Bishop Pierre Dumas; and the director of Caritas Haiti, Fr Serge Chadic, accompanied me to the destroyed cathedral and the house where my colleague, Archbishop Serge Miot was killed. We visited Renaissance Hospital and Champ de Mars makeshift camp, where tens of thousands of people have taken refuge. We also talked with Haiti’s Bishops’ Conference.

While I am deeply moved by the suffering of the Haitian people, I am also aware that there is a sign of hope. The huge swell of support that we have seen so far for the survivors of the earthquake shows that the world is not going to forget Haitians.

As President of Caritas Internationalis, my first commitment will be to make the voice of the Haitian people heard so that there is no danger that we will forget their plight.

Caritas has been in Haiti for many years and our staff bring love, compassion and determination to their work. We have 165 member organisations worldwide and I was delighted to see the fraternity and solidarity expressed by Caritas in Haiti.

When those who can help do, the world is a more just place. This is how things should be and this is one of the aims of our work in Haiti and around the world.

Caritas is already serving over half a million people in Haiti, helping them with food, water, shelter and healthcare. We are also planning our longer-term projects. We want to help Haitians rebuild, but also to help them on the path to autonomy so that they can live with dignity.

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February 25, 2010 · 3:23 PM

New aftershocks in Haiti

By Mathilde Magnier, Caritas Communications Officer, Port-au-Prince

Available in French

Night has just fallen when the earth starts shaking again on February 23. Magnitude 4.7 on the Richter scale. Twelve endless seconds go by. It is 1.26 a.m. We have just experienced one of the most violent tremors in the aftermath of the earthquake.

I am alone in the Caritas Haiti headquarter’s emergency office at the time of the aftershock. I can feel the floor shaking and the earth is rumbling under my feet. Around me, the blinds are rattling and walls are vibrating. There is a terrible noise. I am feeling panicked. My feet want to run. I try to follow them. I have to get out of here, find a safe place, is the only thing I can think of. But where ?

I stumble onto the balcony overhanging the main courtyard of the building. Everybody is already there. They look dazed. Their eyes are swollen. It seems as if they have not realized yet what has happened. The twenty Caritas expatriates hosted in the compound look at each other, visibly shocked. In the distance, dogs are howling.
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February 22, 2010 · 7:47 PM

Haiti quake: Storm clouds ahead

Caritas water and sanitation advisers testing water bladders in Nambanam Camp, in Port-au-Prince, where 250 families live. Credit: CARITAS/Mathilde Magnier

Available also in French

By Mathilde Magnier, Caritas Communications Officer, Port-au-Prince

One month after the dramatic earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince, the coming rainy season presents another major challenge to Caritas and other aid agencies.

The quake killed 217 000 people and left over one million Haitians without shelter. With most quake’s survivors living in overcrowded temporary settlements, crammed into wooden huts made of bed sheets and plastic bags, shelter and sanitation continue to be issues of concern.

The rainy season could start as early as end of February. It is threatening to cause landslides and bring about health problems in the makeshift camps where more than 500,000 people are living. Rain is already falling and afternoon showers are more and more frequent in Port-au-Prince.

“The rainy season is our biggest concern at the moment. It will affect people’s well being and security,”  said Isaac Boyd, CRS shelter adviser (CRS is a Caritas member from the USA).

“As well as landslides and deteriorating sanitary conditions, it will cause a lot of misery. Many people worry about the fact they haven t received enough tangible shelters support so far, this is why we will give out as much plastic sheeting as possible in the coming days,” he said.

To date, the Caritas combined response has distributed nearly 11,000 emergency shelter kits and over 5000 tents to  Port-au-Prince, Jacmel et Léogâne.

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February 18, 2010 · 10:31 AM

Fr Serge B Chadic, Director General of Caritas Haiti addresses Rome conference on Haiti

From left to right: Bishop Pierre Dumas, president of Caritas Haiti; Fr Pierre Chadic, director of Caritas Haiti; Bill Canny - Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Jacques Duffaut - Secours Catholique, Sean Callaghan - CRS

Speech by Fr Serge B Chadic, Director General of Caritas Haiti

Available in French and Spanish

Rome, 17 February 2010

Brothers and sisters, distinguished participants at this meeting,

Being called upon to address such a distinguished gathering makes me feel humble, and it is with humility that I wish to speak on behalf of Caritas Haiti, CRS, and the other Caritas organisations who are collaborating with us on the emergency plan at the National Office in Haiti. However, I feel highly honoured to do so. It is improper to dwell on other people’s suffering. The only appropriate response is resourceful charity to alleviate suffering and destitution, whilst respecting human dignity and evangelical principles. Haiti has shown such generosity and solidarity in the recent disaster that people don’t know whether to cry or admire this nation for its courage. Haiti has shown that it is trustworthy. Before the deployment of urgently needed international aid, rescue teams, experts and funds come Haiti and its people. I bring you the greetings, friendship, courage and generosity of the rest of the population of Haiti who survived the earthquake of 12 January 2010. Continue reading →

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