The suffering caused by the earthquake in Haiti is inconceivable, unimaginable. Norwegian Church Aid is working intensely with critical emergency relief.
Clean water for 30,000
The NCA team, including highly-experienced water specialists, is in the slum area of Bel Air in Port-au-Prince. On Monday new water-purification equipment and tents from Norway arrived in the capital city. We will be setting up 45 tonnes of water-purification equipment in the coming days. This will make it possible for water to reach 30,000 people.
Invaluable local partner
NCA's local partner Viva Rio has been in action, providing assistance, in the slum area, since Day 1. 300 volunteers have been working since the earthquake struck.
"Viva Rio is distributing water, building on NCA's long term development work focusing on water cisterns and wells. Several of these cisterns are in working order, despite the earthquake, and lorries loaded with water fetch water from a reservoir outside the slum area", explained NCA's Programme Coordinator Ingvild Skeie.
More help coming
A further two Norwegian women entered Haiti from Dominican Republic yesterday for NCA. They are specialists in psychosocial work and protection of women and children.
Anne Kristin Sydnes, The Director of International Programmes, and Petter Skauen, Advisor, are departing Norway on Tuesday morning. Petter Skauen is generally acknowledged as one of those with most expertise on Haiti; he has worked "hands on" with peace and reconciliation work in the country for many years.
Praying with Haiti
The Baptist Church held a church service on Sunday at its national centre in Haiti. Several thousand made homeless by the earthquake, especially from the poorest areas in Port-au-Prince, are now seeking refuge around church centres. Atle Sommerfeldt, General Secretary, was at the church service.