Latest News #284 – Haiti/Dominican Rep.
June 10, 2004

Haitian and Dominican Republic Bible Societies respond to flood tragedy

Whether in Haiti or any other part of the world, children enjoy school - and school being out! These smiles also say `thank you` to all who have made the O-21 Book of Life available to the children of Haiti. Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Photo: UBS/Larry Jerden (HAI01T-14.JPG)

HAITI & DOMINICAN REPUBLIC — Bible Societies in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are making plans to provide Scriptures for thousands of people who have lost everything in the floods that have devastated villages and towns along the border between the two countries.

More than 2,000 people are feared dead and several thousand have been forced to flee their homes and are now reliant on food aid and other relief. For the people of this region, most of whom are very poor and who have suffered much in recent years, this flood has come as a severe blow.

In Haiti in particular, people are still reeling from the political turmoil that led to the resignation of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide earlier this year, as Haitian Bible Society General Secretary Magda Victor points out:

"This flood is very sad news for Haiti – after the political violence and upheaval that we've just experienced, we have now had to face a massive natural disaster," she said. "We can only imagine the despair of the survivors in our country who already had very hard lives. They have now lost the little they had.

Unfortunately, not every child in Haiti is able to attend school. More than one-third are left out of the educational process. Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Photo: UBS/Larry Jerden (HAI01DJ-19.JPG)

"In the south-east of the country, a town of 45,000 people, Fonds Verettes, has been completely destroyed and cut off from the rest of the country. It is the third time in 10 years that this has happened. Other towns and villages, too, have been destroyed.

"In 1998, after Hurricane Georges, we organised a special distribution in Fonds Verettes, using emergency funds allocated to us for this purpose. The people really appreciated this because they had lost their Bibles. So we are hoping to do the same again, with the help of the United Bible Societies (UBS) family, in order to bring a ray of hope to people facing great hardship."

A team from the Haitian Bible Society was due to visit the flooded areas last Tuesday (June 8) to evaluate the Scripture needs of the people affected. Mrs Victor estimates that about 20,000 Bibles and 10,000 Selections will be needed, which will cost in the region of US$47,000 to distribute.

Haitian children living on a sugar cane plantation in the Dominican Republic share the Word of God. Dominican Republic. Photo: BSDR (DOM01DJ-2.JPG)

In the Dominican Republic, too, the floods have re-awakened memories of the devastation caused by Hurricane Georges, which, in 1998, killed hundreds of people and left most of the country without water or electricity. It also damaged Bible House.

For Ramón Cornielle, Dominican Republic Bible Society General Secretary, the memories are still raw: "I am writing with deep pain in my heart about the tragedy that has once again struck the Dominican Republic," he wrote in an email to UBS Associate General Secretary Marco Herrera. "Our whole country has been affected. The worst-hit area is one of the poorest in the Dominican Republic. The city of Jimani in the west has been swept away by the overflowing river, and several hundred bodies have been recovered from the water. Homes and crops have also been destroyed."

Mr Cornielle is currently visiting the flooded region of the country with representatives of Social Services of the Council of Dominican Churches.

"Together we are providing different kinds of relief material, such as food, medicines and clothes," he said. "We, as a Bible Society, are distributing Scriptures, which we pray will bring people encouragement and strength. Through this special project, we are distributing 1,000 Bibles to people who have lost their copies in the flood, 2,000 New Testaments, 5,000 Portions and 200,000 Selections. We estimate that this project will cost US$15,000. We pray that the UBS fellowship will support us at this very difficult time."

Scene of the damage caused by Hurricane Georges in 1998. Dominican Republic. Photo: BSDR (DOM98PC-1.JPG)

Meanwhile, as a massive relief effort continues in both countries, there are concerns that disease could spread fast in overcrowded refuge camps. Also, with more rain expected this month, which is the height of the region's wet season, the International Committee of the Red Cross is worried that dams formed by the vast amount of debris piled up by the flood could burst, with devastating effects.