“We are in a desperate situation,” Pierre pleads.
“The population here is really in need. But I cannot send you any pictures due to communication issues. This is all I can send …”
The view of Hurricane Matthew from the International Space Station was like something out of a horror movie. For a brief moment we saw a swirling mass, its eye menacingly clear, devouring the land underneath.
The above images were taken less than a day after the aerial shots from the space station and while they are some of the first images to come from Haiti, they clearly show what happened under that gruesome storm cloud.
That’s where Pierre is.
Haiti is once again under attack. Six years after a massive earthquake tore apart the flimsy infrastructure and killed more than a quarter million people, Haiti is back on her knees.
Friends, we must not forget Haiti … our neighbors … our friends … people like Pierre.
The true devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew is still unknown. And that’s a frightening thought. Because when a disaster strikes within our own shores we have the capability, and the resources needed to respond. We spend money. We rally together. We pray. We stay strong.
But when a disaster like Matthew hits a country as impoverished as Haiti, everything is wiped out—communication, electricity, utilities—it’s near impossible to send for help.
“Almost everything has been destroyed by the strong winds,” Pierre says. “All the trees have fallen. The winds tore off all our roofs.”
That’s why we must respond, and respond quickly and generously. Not because we’re asked, but because it’s the right thing to do.
Because as humans, we have a responsibility to help our brothers and sisters in need. Alexis is one of the few people that we’ve been able to speak with. She was sharing an evening meal with her family when her roof lifted off and disappeared into the stormy sky. Scooping up her daughter Alexis ran to the nearest shelter, a church, and waited for the hurricane to stop.
“I was very afraid to go outside because the wind was so strong. I saw a lot of damage on the road. I saw metal sheets from houses carried by the wind.” Alexis whispers.
There is not a lot a media coverage about Haiti.
The death toll stands at 842 but will almost certainly climb.
The number of homes, buildings, businesses, and farms lost is unknown.
There are only a few photos that show the devastation.
But that’s not because the damage isn’t there—
The reality is that there are people in need. There are families mourning the loss of loved ones. And countless people are scared, and in desperate need.
So as Hurricane Matthew gathers strength and barrels its way towards more developed regions, we have but a short window to focus our attention on Haiti. On people like Pierre. And Alexis.
These people are there. They just can’t ask for help …