Haiti
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| YMCA in Haiti |
Since the devastating earthquake in Haiti earlier this month, the YMCA has been working relentlessly to provide lifesaving support to earthquake victims. To support this work, the YMCA has managed to deliver critical relief items into Haiti through an aid convoy from the Dominican Republic.
On Saturday 23rd January, Andres Fortunato, General Secretary of the YMCA of the Dominican Republic, travelled overland to Haiti with 12 YMCA volunteers and a large truck filled with food, medical supplies and equipment. Accompanied by UN peacekeepers they crossed the border into Haiti in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Despite no longer having premises, the local YMCA in Haiti was still able to mobilise 60 volunteers to successfully distribute the supplies to affected communities on Sunday morning, under police protection. Gwenael Apollon, National General Secretary of YMCA Haiti, was overwhelmed by the support and solidarity shown by YMCA volunteers, friends and family members as they worked to distribute relief items. He said, “We forgot for this period of time whether we had personal problems such as having a friend or family member still buried under the debris caused by the earthquake, or if we have no house to sleep in when night comes.”
In total, the YMCA distributed food and medical supplies to 300 members of the YMCA Port-au-Prince community, and to 40 YMCA staff and volunteers. Remaining boxes were sent to 2 local orphanages, to the Wells Mountain Youth Centre in Kenscoff, and to neighbouring communities.
Sadly, the YMCA’s main premises in Port-au-Prince were totally destroyed by the earthquake. When Andres asked why the YMCA’s furniture and equipment had not been stolen by looters, he was told that “the community respects the YMCA’s work and the area is protected”.
In the longer term, the YMCA plans to design a strategy to contribute to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of affected communities. The World Alliance of YMCAs, Latin America and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs (LACA), and other international partners will also be strategising on how to build the capacity of YMCA Haiti to be a strong actor in this process.
Next weekend, the team will be joined by an expert from the USA, who will
help to further design the necessary short and mid-term relief strategy for the YMCA.
All relief efforts are being coordinated by LACA with support from the World Alliance, and funded with support from the World YMCA Movement, who responded quickly and generously to the appeal launched on 15th January.
To date, over US$200,000 has been pledged. This figure is likely to increase substantially, as YMCAs around the world are working to rally support and solidarity for Haiti earthquake victims.
The World Alliance would like to extend its heartfelt thanks to all YMCAs who have responded to the appeal, and would like to encourage the Movement to continue donating generously to support this life-saving work.
Please make donations to the following account:
Banco Popular
Maximo Gomez Avenue and JFK avenue
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Account holder: Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes
Account number:757457023
SWIFT:BPDODOSXXX
ABA CODE:06711171.
Please communicate all pledges and funds transferred to the following persons:
Miguel Blasco, Deputy General Secretary of LACA:
miguelblasco(at)lacaymca.org
Norberto Moreaux, LACA's Chairman of Board of Directors:
nathaliecoo(at)hotmail.com
Simon Pluess, World Alliance of YMCAs
simon.pluess(at)ymca.int
For further information please contact:
Miguel Blasco: miguelblasco(at)lacaymca.org
Simon Pluess: simon.pluess(at)ymca.int
YMCA Emergeny Response in Haiti: Photos >>>
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Ten days after the terrible earthquake in Haiti, the humanitarian situation remains critical. With a whole country, including government and public services, deeply affected, the international community is responding as quickly and efficiently as possible to the most urgent needs of the survivors. Serious logistical challenges and growing security concerns for humanitarian staff and the affected population are further complicating the situation.
Since the aftermath of the earthquake, the World Alliance, the Latin American and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs (LACA) as well as close international YMCA partners of Haiti, have worked together to organise first relief efforts. An international appeal to help the YMCA in Haiti respond to the most urgent needs of those affected was launched by the World Alliance and LACA on 15 January 2010.
There is an ongoing wave of solidarity from around the world in favour of Haiti’s earthquake victims. YMCA members and movements are encouraged to continue donating generously.
For several days, direct communication with the YMCA leadership in Haiti was impossible. It is only yesterday, that the first coordination conference call with Gwenael Apollon, National General Secretary of YMCA Haiti, was possible. He reports that most YMCA staff and volunteers are safe, apart from two persons who are still missing. However, almost all have lost or are missing some family members or close friends.
The YMCA Youth Centre in Port-au-Prince has been completely destroyed. Fortunately, the two other centres outside the city have been spared. The YMCA is assisting the community, families and children it serves with the most urgent services. There are plans to use one of the YMCA centres to provide temporary accommodation and basic services to families that have lost their homes.
Working with the LACA sub-regional Coordinator for the Caribbean, Andreas Fortunato, the YMCA has prepared a first international convoy to Haiti with life saving relief items, including food, water, tents, blankets, blood resources and medical aid. YMCA volunteers as well as specialised staff from other NGOs, like medical doctors, will join the convoy, planned to arrive in Haiti on Saturday. This convoy has been made possible thanks to immediate advance payments by some international YMCA partners.
The YMCA in Santo Domingo has been closely coordinating with the United Nations and the NGO community to be able to have the necessary security measures for volunteers and relief goods while travelling to Haiti. The convoy will run under the UN flag. The YMCA of Haiti will meet the convoy at the border to accompany them to the YMCA premises.
Apart from immediate relief provided, further needs assessment will be undertaken to design the short term relief operations as well as mid and long term reconstruction plans. An experienced relief expert and YMCA volunteer from the USA, who speaks French and Creole, is likely to join the team in Haiti in the coming days.
Some YMCA movements have made generous offers to send volunteers to Haiti. They are requested to remain on stand-by, given the serious logistical and security concerns in Haiti.
Please continue to donate generously to the following account:
Banco Popular
Maximo Gomez Avenue and JFK avenue
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Account holder: Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes
Account number:757457023
SWIFT:BPDODOSXXX
ABA CODE:06711171.
Please communicate all pledges and funds transferred to the following persons:
Mauricio Vandorsee, Secretary General of LACA, secretariogeneral(at)lacaymca.org
Norberto Moreaux, LACA's Chairman of Board of Directors nathaliecoo(at)hotmail.com
Simon Pluess, World Alliance of YMCAs
simon.pluess(at)ymca.int
This will allow the YMCA to adjust its response according to available funds.
Further updates will be shared in the coming days.
For further information please contact:
Mauricio Vandorse: secretariogeneral(at)lacaymca.org/
Simon Pluess: simon.pluess(at)ymca.int
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Today, the World Alliance of YMCAs together with the Latin American and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs (LACA) is launching an international appeal to the YMCA movement in support of the Haiti earthquake victims.
The Haitian people are suffering a crisis of a magnitude that no one can comprehend. On the evening of the earthquake, Gwénaël Apollon, General Secretary of YMCA Haiti reported that he, his family, and YMCA staff had survived, but that YMCA operations had been severely impacted.
The global YMCA movement is responding with a coordinated effort to address the immediate needs of the children, families and devastated communities in Port au Prince, and surrounding areas by providing immediate financial support to respond to the urgent basic needs of those affected. Working in collaboration with the Red Cross, Action Churches Together and other relief and emergency agencies, the YMCA is providing food, water, medicines, blankets and other necessary relief items.
A YMCA assessment team with YMCA volunteers from the Dominican Republic and other countries is planning to travel to Haiti in the coming hours to assess the situation and deliver critical supplies and support to those impacted. They will also get in contact with YMCA Haiti, with whom communication has been very difficult over the last days, due to the damaged telecommunication system in the country.
Beyond these immediate efforts, the YMCA will also evaluate the long-term needs of the impacted communities to ensure the security and stability of children, youth and families in Haiti.
The coordination of the relief operations will be ensured by the LACA sub-regional office for the Caribbean, based in the Dominican Republic, with the support of the World Alliance of YMCAs.
We appeal to you to do your best to support the relief efforts for the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Please transfer your donations directly to the special YMCA relief account in the Dominican Republic. The account details are as a follows:
Banco Popular
Maximo Gomez Avenue and JFK avenue
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Account holder: Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes
Account number:757457023
SWIFT:BPDODOSXXX
ABA CODE:06711171.
Updates on the YMCA’s efforts will be posted as they become available. For more information, please contact the head office of the Latin American and Caribbean Alliance in Săo Paulo, Brazil:
secretariogeneral(at)lacaymca.org
00-55-11-3257-5867) or
the World Alliance of YMCAs in Geneva:
simon.pluess(at)ymca.int
00-41-22-849- 51- 00
We ask for your prayers for the YMCA and the people of Haiti.
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The World Alliance of YMCAs has expressed its profound sadness after receiving news of the earthquake that hit south of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. According to the latest reports, hundreds are feared dead, the capital is in total darkness, and many people are sleeping outside amid fear of the aftershocks.
In a letter to the General Secretary of YMCA Haiti, Mr. Gwénaël Apollon, Dr Bart Shaha, Secretary General of the World Alliance of YMCAs said, “What a tragedy it is, that this earthquake hits a country that has already known so many disasters in the past, with a majority of the population too poor to cope on its own with the consequences of such a tragedy.
We hope that YMCA staff and volunteers have not been too severely affected by this terrible event. The YMCA movements around the world stand behind the Haitian people in our thoughts and prayers.”
The World Alliance of YMCAs will be closely monitoring the situation, seeing how it can support the actions planned by YMCA Haiti in response to this disaster.
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Please continue to donate generously to the following account:
Banco Popular
Maximo Gomez Avenue and JFK avenue
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Account holder: Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes
Account number:757457023
SWIFT:BPDODOSXXX
ABA CODE:06711171.
Please communicate all pledges and funds transferred to the following persons:
Mauricio Vandorsee, Secretary General of Latin American and Caribbean Alliance of YMCAs (LACA) ,secretariogeneral(at)lacaymca.org
Norberto Moreaux, LACA's Chairman of Board of Directors nathaliecoo(at)hotmail.com
Simon Pluess, World Alliance of YMCAs
simon.pluess(at)ymca.int
This will allow the YMCA to adjust its response according to available funds.
Further updates will be shared in the coming days.
For further information please contact:
Mauricio Vandorse: secretariogeneral(at)lacaymca.org/
Simon Pluess: simon.pluess(at)ymca.int
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