A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit southwest Haiti early Saturday morning, destroying buildings and pushing people out of their homes.
About 200 people are confirmed dead so far, according to the Associated Press.
Relief organizations, including Matthew 25: Ministries which is based in Blue Ash , are quickly mobilizing to respond to the disaster.
Tim Mettey, CEO of Matthew 25, said their organization is receiving reports of the extensive damage caused by the earthquake from their partners on the ground.
“It’s going to be another day before we get a picture of the full extent of the damage. As of now, we know thousands of homes have been impacted. A lot of it is in the smaller cities, in or around the epicenter of the island. They are seeing lots of structures destroyed. Many people have lost their lives already. We’re hearing that the hospitals are overloaded, so they’re setting tents up outside,” Mettey said.
He said the need following this disaster is urgent, and Matthew 25 is using the existing partnerships they have in place in Haiti to respond.
After the 2010 earthquake, Matthew 25 set up a clinic in a suburb outside of Port-au-Prince. Mettey said the doctors and nurses from that clinic are mobilizing to help those hurt in the earthquake.
They’re also using their existing supply routes to ship additional resources to Haiti.
How to help after the earthquake in Haiti
Mettey said people can donate money, supplies or volunteer to support the relief effort.
The items that can be donated include cases of bottled water, personal care products, cleaning supplies, paper products, baby and infant supplies, and first aid items.
Mettey said COVID-19 is still a big concern, so items like masks and hand sanitizers are also important.
“There’s been pollical unrest and COVID, and now this. In the coming days, unfortunately, we’re going to hear about the full impact. The death toll and number of injuries is going to be much higher than the numbers we’re hearing now,” he said.
Mettey said they’ve been working in Haiti since 2010 and will continue as they respond to this disaster.
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