January 12, 2010 – Port-au-Prince, Haiti…[Libna Stevens/IAD]
Seventh-day Adventist leaders in Inter-America are concerned for the thousands of church members who might have been affected by an earthquake which hit Haiti this afternoon. The quake, measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale, was reportedly centered 10 miles west of Port au Prince in the ocean, and was felt as far away as Santiago, Cuba and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Twenty minutes after the earthquake struck the Caribbean country, Wally Amundson, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) for Inter-America, spoke to Ketteline Israel, assistant to ADRA director in Haiti.
“There are buildings collapsed all around, traffic is barely moving and a general sense of panic and loss of life is evident,” said Israel over the phone from Delmas, a region hit by the earthquake.
“This is a very sad situation and we are very concerned about our brethren,” said Pastor Israel Leito, president of the church in Inter-America. “We know that there will be great need in the coming days.”
Leaders are hoping to have more information tomorrow about the membership and its churches and buildings. So far, the church’s headquarter office in Delmas suffered no damage to its structure, according to local church officials.
Most of the church’s large institutions, such as its hospital and university, are based in Carrefour in the Diquini region on the southern outskirts of Port au Prince. Although Carrefour is not close to Delmas, church leaders are waiting to hear more about potential damage to those institutions, as well.
The assessment of needs is expected to be in full swing tomorrow and the coming days, according to Amundson.
“ADRA Haiti is prepared to use cash donations to make a first response immediately there in terms of food and water to the most needy, utilizing its volunteer base” added Amundson.
Haiti has over 335,000 Seventh-day Adventists worshipping in 470 churches. In addition to a hospital, a university, and a bakery, the church operates dozens of schools there.
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