One of the many damaged homes in Les Cayes
Dear Supporters,
As we live in the midst of a global pandemic many natural disasters have been adding to the misery and crisis for innumerable underprivileged communities around the globe.
Haiti is one of our Caribbean neighbors where UNITED SIKHS has deep connections with its people. Following the massive 2010 earthquake our teams spent weeks offering much needed humanitarian assistance to displaced families.
Devastatingly just over 10 years later on August 14th a 7.4 earthquake plunged Haiti into a disaster zone again. With thousands displaced and many people still buried under the rubble, tropical storm Grace drenched Haiti with pummeling rain at the worst possible moment.
Our rescue and reconnaissance teams were on ground after these back to back disasters. Our teams distributed urgently needed food and medical supplies. The biggest need of the hour is housing. Thousands of people are living and sleeping out in the open skies exposed to all the elements.
UNITED SIKHS Haiti Coordinator, Luna Charles, with baby left homeless by the latest disasters.
“Haiti is my home country and I cannot begin to make sense of how natural disasters keep destroying the simple life as we know it. I was on the ground in Haiti on behalf of UNITED SIKHS on August 18, 2021 four days after the Earthquake that ravished the South of Haiti, especially a town called Les Cayes and another town called Camp Perin. I saw families with women and children sleeping out in the open in the middle of rubble. One week later there is the odor of decomposed bodies in some places. No human being should ever have to live in these conditions. We are thankful to good people around the globe providing support. The urgent need is some kind of bare minimum housing. Hurricane season is starting and more storms are on their way.” –
Luna Charles, UNITED SIKHS Haiti Project Coordinator.
To echo Luna’s desperate needs of the moment, UNITED SIKHS emergency response teams are mobilizing to construct basic shelters that can be built quickly to provide safety and shelter from the unfolding disaster and upcoming storms. Tents and tarps are the immediate shelter but they will not withstand high winds and heavy rains forecast in coming weeks.
UNITED SIKHS volunteer with temporary tent shelter for displaced families.
The image above displays basic housing needed urgently by thousands of families to withstand heavy rains and wind.
- The cost to build one such home is approximately $2000 to temporarily shelter a family from extreme weather.
- For common bathroom facilities to be shared by families is another $500.
- We have acquired a piece of land where we can build approximately ten (10) such homes. We can acquire more land with your generous support.
We humbly request your support with this most urgent of missions in the middle of unfolding disasters.
