Kansas Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists (KNCSB)

Update on relief efforts in Haiti

Southern Baptists are mobilizing for relief efforts in Haiti following the devastating earthquake. (International Mission Board photo © 2010)

by Larry Thomas
KNCSB Director of Disaster Relief
Southern Baptist disaster-relief efforts in support of Haiti are underway. Today’s phone conference of state convention disaster-relief directors brought new light to ongoing Southern Baptist efforts to make a difference in the lives of people suffering in Haiti.

A quick look to the local news services provides the most up-to-date information regarding the suffering in this country. However, the news   does not always tell the story of why Southern Baptist relief efforts are not fully operational in Haiti.

Fritz Wilson of the Florida Baptist Convention reports that the Florida Baptist mission compound in Haiti is for the most part structurally sound. The perimeter walls and some other damaged areas need attention.

The suffering of the Haitian people continues to be overwhelming, and efforts to deliver relief aid are both dangerous and difficult. The existing roads are littered with debris and impassable in many places.

Southern Baptist efforts to provide clean water, food, and medical assistance are underway. However, they are severely restricted due to the infrastructure damage and lack of safe facilities to set up operations.

Neither local authorities nor U.S. forces can guarantee the personal safety of volunteers at this time. Uncoordinated efforts, such as air drops of food packets, in many instances cause more suffering than help.

Travel into Haiti can be accomplished at your own risk. Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptist Disaster Relief efforts are being coordinated through the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) Operations Center and Baptist Global Response (BGR), our international disaster-relief arm. Leaders from SBDR and BGR are en route or have recently arrived in Haiti.

I do not encourage anyone to attempt to travel to Haiti on his or her own. Nor do I authorize any Kansas-Nebraska Disaster Relief volunteers to self deploy to Haiti. Kansas-Nebraska Disaster Relief will respond as a coordinated part of the overall Southern Baptist Disaster Relief response.

For those who desire to stay informed of directives regarding travel to Haiti, check out the U.S. State Department Web site. When you finish there, go to the Center for Disease Control site and read up on the needed immunizations and general health hazards to prepare for. Detailed information regarding Southern Baptist deployment will be disseminated as soon as we get it.

Please continue to pray for the Haitian people, the relief leaders and workers doing as much as they can with what they have and for those relief efforts yet to arrive. When you think of donating money, remember that 100 percent of your donation through Kansas-Nebraska Southern Baptist Convention goes to disaster-relief efforts. There is no administrative overhead deducted from any donation to KNCSB disaster relief.

Donations should be sent to: Kansas-Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists, 5410 SW 7th St, Topeka, KS 66606-2398. Make all checks payable to KNCSB Disaster Relief. If you desire, you may annotate the bottom of the check “For Haitian Earthquake Relief”.

Updates will be posted on the KNCSB Web site. Please call me at (316) 204-7889 if I can be of assistance.