Dear friends:

It is with a great deal of sadness and a broken heart that I must inform you of the status of our beloved nation of Haiti. Adding to the pain of this misery-stricken country, Hurricane Matthew made landfall near Les Anglais, Haiti Tuesday, October 4 at 7 a.m. This storm is the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in Haiti since Cleo in 1964.

As many of you are already aware, this country has yet to recover from the earthquake back in 2010, which left a death toll estimated to be between 100,000 and 160,000. Soon after the earthquake of 2010 there was a cholera outbreak that affected the entire island killing thousands.

Following the devastation of Hurricane Matthew at this very moment, the death toll continues to rise. There has been a loss of communication and severe power outage across the areas affected, but there are a number of media outlets that are currently reporting the death toll to be approximately 800 people. Some 50 people were reported killed in the town of Roche-a-Bateau alone. The nearby city of Jeremie saw 80 percent of its buildings leveled. In Sud province, 30,000 homes were destroyed. Most of the deaths in Haiti were in towns and fishing villages around the southern coast, with many killed by falling trees, flying debris and swollen rivers.

It is imperative for us to pray for our brothers and sisters in Haiti, especially those directly affected by Hurricane Matthew. In the aftermath of this storm I leave you with this scripture:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.” – Matthew 25:35

Pastor Julio Brutus
Caribbean Director
Clean the World