This is a portion of a letter from Lionel Derenoncourt, Associate for
Int'l Hunger Concerns.

************
Dear Colleagues,
The succession of four hurricanes within a month is unprecedented in
Haiti. Reports received from local partners indicate that there may be
at least 500 dead in the city of Gonaives alone. All the regions of
the country have suffered major damages especially in the valleys and
low lying areas where flooding has destroyed crops, livestock and
taken away houses. The Artibonite Valley, and lower Artibonite in
particular, Fonds Verrettes, Arcahaie, Cayes Jacmel, Marigot, and the
Norwest peninsula are among the most affected. People are stranded for
days on top of houses that remain standing. For those who survived the
floods, hunger and thirst are now a serious danger. The most urgent
needs are for bottled water, food, cooking utensils, clothing, hygiene
kits and medical supplies. Some of these supplies can be acquired in
Haiti itself while much has to be imported by specialized institutions.

Transportation and distribution of emergency supplies are a logistical
nightmare. Roads and bridges have been severely damaged or washed
away. In many areas help has to be transported by helicopters or
boats. This means that it's mainly well equipped international
institutions like the military, red cross, Lutheran World Federation,
Medecins Sans Frontieres, etc who will be able to reach the most
affected areas immediately. For other parts where local transportation
can still provide access, coordination of interventions among numerous
international and national agencies will have to be set up by the
Haitian government and the emergency relief community.

The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is working with a number of
international and local partners within the framework of ACT (Action
by Churches Together) as well as with Haitian institutions like the
Episcopal Church of Haiti, Service Chretien d' Haiti, and more
grassroots PC(USA) partners like the Peasant Movement of Papay and the
Lambi Fund in the rural areas...........


Directions to send contributions designated for Haiti Relief efforts
are as follows:

Churches and Presbyteries are to send them through the normal mission
giving process
PLEASE indicate clearly on the check and in any additional material:
on the memo line
DR000064
Haiti Relief efforts

Individuals may send a contribution directly to:

Individual Remittance
PO Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264

Write on the memo line:
DR000064
Haiti Relief effort


Grace and peace,

Pix Mahler
pcusa Haiti Partnership Facilitator
pix@...
1022 Floyd St., Lynchburg, VA 24501
434-385-9486
http://www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/profiles/mahlerp.htm


****Please be advised that contributions sent through the PCUSA do
retain 5% to cover administrative costs. This amount is considerably
less than most reputable relief agencies.