Alexandria, VA - Salvation Army personnel provided
initial triage to the latest survivor of the Haitian
earthquake. Evan Ocinia, a 28 year old man, was brought
to The Army’s clinic in the Delmas 2 neighborhood of
Port-au-Prince after being miraculously pulled from the
rubble in the Lionshead marketplace on the morning of
February 8th. Two men digging thorough the
rubble heard Evans calling out to them. They pulled him
out and took him to The Army’s clinic.
“Evan was
extremely dehydrated and had skin wounds but he didn’t
appear to have any critical wounds or broken bones,”
according to Major Evelyn Chavez, Emotional and
Spiritual Care Officer. “He was able to hold his head
up on his own and take some small sips of water from the
doctor who accompanied the transport.”
Salvation Army
personnel transported Evan to the University of Miami
Hospital, which is located adjacent to the airport in
Port au Prince.
The Salvation
Army responded immediately to the earthquake in Haiti,
with local Salvationists being quickly joined by
international personnel. The Salvation Army has assumed
responsibility for the care of nearly 20,000 people
living in the temporary camp near its compound in
Port-au-Prince. In addition, service sites are located
in Petit Goave and Jacmel and distribution sites are in
Croix-des-Bouquets (6 mi east of PAP) and Balan (18 mi
east of PAP). Its medical clinic continues to treat more
than 250 people a day on-site, with several transfers
daily to the hospital.
The Salvation
Army has set up a Haiti relief fund and is accepting
monetary donations. Donors may contribute $10 via their
phone bill by text messaging the word “HAITI” to 52000,
and confirming the donation with the word, “Yes.”
Donors can also give via
www.salvationarmyusa.org,
1-800-SAL-ARMY and through the mail at: The Salvation
Army World Service Office, International Disaster Relief
Fund, P.O. Box 630728, Baltimore, MD 21263-0728 with
designation “Haiti Earthquake.”
THE SALVATION
ARMY PRESENCE IN HAITI (PRE-EMERGENCY)
The Salvation
Army has been officially working in Haiti since 1950.
Our present assets in the country include:
63 Commissioned
Salvation Army Officers
161 Employees
39 Corps and 23
Outposts (Worship and Community Centers)
5 Social
Institutions (Clinics, Children’s Homes)
46 Schools with
443 Teachers
INITIAL
EMERGENCY PRIORITIES
The Salvation
Army’s initial Emergency Assessment has confirmed the
following priorities, in order of immediate importance:
Water - Safe
drinking water
Nutrition - Food
Medical
Assistance - Medical supplies and treatment
Shelter
Trauma, grief,
and spiritual counseling
SHORT TERM
RECOVERY
Once the initial
needs have been met, the next step will be to provide
sustainable solutions to make necessities available to
the affect population:
Repair/reestablish local water sources
Provide water
filtration capacity
Provide
assistance to local population to rebuild permanent,
more earthquake resistant housing
Develop
strategic plans for long term Salvation Army Program and
Facility Reconstruction
INTO THE
FUTURE
The Salvation
Army was active in Haiti before the earthquake. We will
rebuild our damaged faculties, while continuing our
already well established programs. We are committed to
standing by the Haitian people as they move into the
future.
Medical clinics
Education
Long Term Relief
and Reconstruction
Community
Development Projects / Income generation / Child
Nutrition / HIV/AIDS
Advocacy
About The
Salvation Army
The Salvation
Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian
church established in 1865, has been supporting those in
need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in
the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive
assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the
broadest array of social services that range from
providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster
victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the
elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless
and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents
of every dollar spent is used to carry out those
services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more
information, go to
www.salvationarmyusa.org.
Report
submitted by Captain Tawny Cohen Zanders, PIO SAWSO,
Haiti Incident Command Team. Cell (330) 353-1759
Email:
TCowen-Zanders@use.salvationarmy.org