Convoy Responding to 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake in Haiti

November 1, 2021 | 3:07 p.m.

Convoy of Hope’s response to the earthquake in Haiti has now reached more than 270,000 survivors across 369 communities since August.

“People in my community were suffering because they were so hungry. Two days after the earthquake, there was nowhere you could buy food,” said earthquake survivor Gersmide Maxi. 

Convoy of Hope supplied Gersmide with relief supplies after the earthquake, which she then shared with others in her community. By sharing food, water, and supplies with others, she multiplied hope across her community. “This was like Jesus coming to earth for them,” she said.

“We were in an extremely difficult situation,” another survivor told Convoy. 

As a single mother, the effects of the earthquake were particularly perilous for her and her two children. Convoy of Hope’s team supplied her with necessities and gave her the hope her family needed to keep going. “We are very, very happy,” she said. “It’s a big, big thing you did for me. I thank you all very much.”

Convoy of Hope’s response to the earthquake in Haiti can continue thanks to support from people like you. Thank you for helping these survivors in their time of need.

October 18, 2021 | 2:25 p.m.

In many ways, Convoy of Hope’s response to the recent earthquake in Haiti was more than a decade in the making.

In 2010, a massive earthquake struck Haiti, causing extensive damage to Port-au-Prince. Convoy of Hope was quick to respond.

“We worked with what we had, making the best of every situation, keeping ourselves safe,” said Nick Weirsma, Vice President of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team. “We worked with equipment, support, everything we could get our hands on to distribute food and supplies.”

In August, when the 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck approximately 78 miles west of Port-au- Prince, Convoy was ready. Existing presence, partnerships, and programming allowed Convoy of Hope to respond at a greater speed and capacity than ever before.

“Because of your consistent support over the last 11 years, we’ve been able to build up infrastructure, we’ve added staffing, [and we’ve] invested in relationships all throughout the country,” Nick said.

Convoy’s lasting presence in Haiti has also allowed for thousands of lives to be changed through Agriculture, Womens’ Empowerment, and Children’s Feeding initiatives throughout the country.

“We’re going to continue to respond to the needs from the earthquake, and we’re not going to stop building, investing, and growing hope for the future in the nation of Haiti,” said Nick.

Amid the news of recent kidnappings that took place in Haiti, Convoy of Hope can report that all team members and partners appear to be safe at this time.

In-country staff also reported that, despite the 4.0 magnitude earthquake that struck less than 14 miles north of Jérémie, normal operations will continue. Early reports indicate that damage was minimal.

Convoy is grateful for those who make responses like this possible. To contribute to Convoy of Hope as this response continues, click here.

September 28, 2021 | 4:50 p.m.

HAITI — “Thank you so, so, so much. It’s priceless what you’re doing,” Pekat said. “Only God knows how grateful I am.”

Pekat, a Haitian translator who works with Convoy of Hope’s partner organization, Mission of Hope, knows the devastation an earthquake can leave behind. In 2010, his family was living in Port-au-Prince when a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck. They lost everything.

Pekat moved to the Dominican Republic. His family stayed behind in Haiti to rebuild their life in a village outside of the city, where they thought they would be safer in the event of another disaster.

Then, in August, Haiti felt another massive earthquake. This time, the damage was more concentrated in rural areas. Pekat’s family was, yet again, in the disaster zone.

Pekat reached out to Mission of Hope, requesting help for his family. Soon, a response team was en route to their village with 350 boxes of food and hygiene kits.

“Keep doing what you are doing,” Pekat said when he heard that help was on its way. “It’s not always easy, but there are more blessings in giving than receiving. Thank you!”

Stories like these are representative of the hundreds of thousands of earthquake survivors Convoy of Hope and Mission of Hope are serving in response to the recent disaster in Haiti. Partners like Mission of Hope help Convoy provide relief in times of crisis.

Convoy of Hope recently provided 11,000 pounds of medical supplies to seven different hospitals across Haiti. These hospitals then distribute medical supplies to smaller communities in need. Thirteen more containers including drinking water, solar lanterns, medical supplies, and other necessities are en route to affected areas.

Thank you for supporting Convoy of Hope as we serve those in need across Haiti. To contribute to our response, click here.

September 15, 2021 | 3:20 p.m.

HAITI — Convoy of Hope’s response to the massive 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti continues, providing approximately 6 million meals to survivors.

“We want to say thank you to all of our partners who have helped make this possible,” said Chris Dudley, Stabilization & Humanitarian Intervention Director for Convoy of Hope. “There is hope because of people like you.”

Convoy of Hope’s ongoing response has provided meals to hundreds of thousands of affected people across Haiti. Survivors also received water, hygiene kits, sheltering supplies, and other necessities.

Convoy’s response to this disaster differed from the response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, due in large part to the geographical location of the disaster zone.

“This earthquake affected a lot of remote areas,” said Ruben Cenea, a local Convoy partner. “The community and the culture is different.”

The recent earthquake damaged roads and infrastructure in many rural areas, making it extremely difficult to reach affected communities. However, thanks to vital partnerships and ingenuity, Convoy of Hope has served more than 270 communities across Haiti — some only accessible by water or aircraft.

Despite these challenges, Convoy will continue to provide relief to survivors of this earthquake. Convoy of Hope is grateful for the supporters, partners, and volunteers who make responses like this possible.

To contribute to Convoy of Hope’s response, click here.

September 8, 2021 | 9:30 a.m.

Convoy of Hope’s response to the recent earthquake in Haiti has served more than 163 communities across the country. Thanks to Convoy’s supporters and partners, more than 1 million earthquake survivors received essential help within the first week of the response. Convoy of Hope served approximately 5 million individuals in the first month alone.

Additional supplies are en route to Haiti and to affected areas across the country. Convoy is grateful for those who make responses like this possible.

September 4, 2021 | 11:23 a.m.

JEREMIE, HAITI — The Caribbean experienced another earthquake this morning, this time 30 miles off the east coast of the Dominican Republic. Thankfully, the 3.6 magnitude quake does not seem to have done much or any damage to surrounding nations, which include Haiti.

Earlier this week, Convoy of Hope worked with 80 different authority organizations to distribute food to the people of Jeremie. Together, they unloaded 3,800 boxes, containing close to 840,000 meals. Here are some images from Haiti showing the hope that’s being shared with survivors.

Septemeber 2, 2021 | 8:30 a.m.

HAITI — With the help of the U.S. Navy, Convoy of Hope has now distributed more than 5 million meals to survivors of the recent earthquake in Haiti.

Utilizing a military landing craft (a boat capable of safely running aground in order to deploy crew and supplies), Convoy of Hope and its in-country partners have distributed food, water, and other essentials in otherwise hard-to-reach areas across Haiti.

“It’s a big group effort that has really changed the game for us in Haiti,” said Chris Dudley, Stabilization & Humanitarian Intervention Director for Convoy of Hope. “The Navy brought their landing craft to the table and asked, ‘How can we help?’”

Security concerns and damage to roads and infrastructure often create hazards that make it difficult or impossible to provide life-sustaining supplies in times of crisis. Through innovation and collaboration, Convoy has provided much-needed relief to those affected by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti not long ago.

Compared to the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010, the most recent quake had a greater impact on rural communities, which can often become isolated when disaster strikes. Convoy of Hope’s teams and partners have been diligent to reach survivors in both urban and rural areas as affected communities struggle to find hope in this time of crisis. Vital partners like Mission of Hope and the U.S. Navy allow us to have a greater impact while we serve the people of Haiti. 

Thanks to our partners and supporters, Convoy has provided relief to more than 160 communities across Haiti following the recent earthquake.

To contribute to our response as we continue to provide aid for earthquake survivors, click here.

August 27, 2021 | 12:55 a.m.

HAITI — To date, Convoy of Hope has distributed more than 4 million meals to those affected by the devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake, which struck nearly two weeks ago. Thirteen additional containers of food, water, tarps, water filters, solar lanterns, and other essentials for distribution are en route to Haiti at this time.

Transportation still remains a major hurdle in some areas where bridges and roads are unusable after the earthquake. Convoy is overcoming this challenge by distributing food, water, and relief supplies to rural communities by helicopter.

“Twelve days after the earthquake, damages to infrastructure continue to cause access restrictions that must be overcome to provide relief to some remote areas,” said Ryan Grabill of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team. “In response, our team is utilizing military helicopter support to transport emergency food rations to distribution hubs in these hard-to-reach communities; this is sometimes the only option for getting relief into the affected area.”

Many of these areas are beginning to see a glimmer of normalcy as they recover.

“Things are coming back slowly,” said Ruben Cenea, a local Convoy of Hope partner. “The people are resilient and strong.”
Thank you for your support as Convoy provides relief to survivors in Haiti. To contribute to our response, click here.

August 26, 2021 | 1:45 p.m.

HAITI — “It’s a huge challenge,” said Chris Dudley of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team, while he stood in front of a flattened school in the remote village of Marceline. “Some of the roads have been destroyed. Some of the bridges have been destroyed. Reaching some of these communities is very, very challenging.”

Nonetheless, Convoy of Hope has already distributed more than 3 million meals to survivors of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that violently shook the island nation almost two weeks ago. Eleven more containers of relief supplies are currently en route to the hardest hit areas.

“Because of Convoy of Hope’s presence here in Haiti, we have a vast network of people who we can partner with on the ground,” Chris continued. “The amount of work that has already gone into this response is staggering.” 

Chris was also on the ground in Haiti when a large earthquake struck in 2010. He noted that, while much of the damage the earthquake caused 11 years ago was in urban areas, the opposite is true of this disaster. Many rural areas have sustained incredible amounts of damage — some of which are only accessible by helicopter or by foot. 

Convoy of Hope has distribution sites set up in rural areas and is transporting food, water, and relief supplies by helicopter. 

“The chopper is sometimes the only way,” Chris said. “Food is brought in, and people are medevaced out.” 

Thank you for your continued support as Convoy serves affected communities in Haiti. To contribute to our response, click here.

August 24, 2021 | 1:25 p.m.

HAITI — Convoy of Hope’s team and partners are continuing distributions in affected areas, adding to the 2 million meals the organization has already provided. Additional truckloads of supplies were prepared by teams for distribution in the hardest-hit parts of the island.

One of the things helping Convoy navigate this disaster is experience from the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Additionally, highly valued relationships have paved the way for quick and efficient distributions of food, water filters, and other relief supplies. While a shipment of relief supplies would ordinarily take approximately 40 days to arrive in Haiti, Convoy of Hope is now delivering shipments in a tenth of that time.

“We’re really excited to be able to provide additional materials — tarps, water filters, food, and additional resources — to families that have been impacted by the earthquake there,” said Ryan Grabill of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team. “Even today, distributions are occurring in communities like Les Cayes, that you’ve probably seen on the news, where many buildings, if not all of them in the community have collapsed or been damaged in some way.”

Thank you for your continued support as we respond to this crisis. To contribute to our response, click here.

August 23, 2021 | 2 p.m.

HAITI — Over the weekend, Convoy of Hope continued to supply residents with necessities through distribution hubs in two of the communities most devastated by the recent earthquake: Jérémie and Les Cayes. To date, Convoy has distributed more than 2 million meals in response to the earthquake, with an additional 2 million meals ready for transportation to distribution locations.

“We’ve had some incredible successes that we didn’t expect,” said Ryan Grabill of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team. “Whereas it normally takes 40 days for a container to get to Haiti, we have a process where we’re able to move product in four or five days.”

Convoy of Hope and on-the-ground partners have reached rural communities through connections with other local entities. In a recent distribution, field partners used a military helicopter to transport emergency supplies in hard-to-reach areas. Capabilities like these allow Convoy to reach communities that are cut off from other parts of the country after a disaster, and keeps team members and supplies safe as they travel from one area to the next.

So far, Convoy of Hope has provided emergency relief to 45 communities across Haiti. Thank you for supporting Convoy and for helping our teams provide relief to those in dire need. To contribute to this response, click here. 

August 20, 2021 | 11:15 a.m.

HAITI — Less than a week after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, Convoy of Hope has provided more than 1 million meals in addition to sheltering supplies, medical supplies, water, and other necessities to people in need.

“We have now distributed more than 1 million meals, with another half a million meals that will be in the impacted areas today,” said Ryan Grabill of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team. “The scene is hard to fathom. The shock of what has happened is beginning to wear off. We continue to work to provide hope in the midst of this great difficulty.”

After the dust settled following the back-to-back disasters that recently impacted Haiti, the scope of the damage became both apparent and harrowing. Recent reports indicate that the earthquake claimed more than 2,100 lives, injured more than 12,000 survivors, and displaced at least 30,000 families.

Convoy’s response will continue as we provide much-needed relief to Haitians affected by these disasters. To contribute to Convoy of Hope in this time of need, click here.

August 19, 2021 | 11:10 a.m.

HAITI — As Convoy of Hope continues to provide help and hope to those affected by  back-to-back crises in Haiti, the local Civil Protection Agency reassessed the earthquake’s casualty count, which now includes more than 2,100 deaths. The earthquake caused more than 12,000 injuries, destroyed more than 7,000 homes, and displaced approximately 30,000 families, according to the Associated Press.

The timing of this news coincides with World Humanitarian Day — an annual event for the advocacy of those affected by humanitarian crises around the world. Right now, food, water and relief supplies are making their way to survivors of this event. Convoy of Hope’s ongoing work for more than the last 14 years, means that we have the relationship and capacity to help thousands upon thousands of people in need.

As the response to the recent earthquake in Haiti continues, Convoy is grateful for those who support our work around the world. To observe World Humanitarian Day by contributing to our work in Haiti, click here.

August 18, 2021 | 1:05 p.m.

HAITI — Convoy of Hope now has 3.5 million meals available for distribution in Haiti. Convoy continues to distribute tarps, solar lanterns, water filters, and other necessities to people affected by the earthquake and subsequent storm.

Tropical Storm Grace flooded many previously affected areas and created additional concern about the possibility of mudslides, Ryan Grabill of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team confirmed.

“Although Tropical Storm Grace complicated relief efforts, it increased urgency over the distribution of relief supplies so that people can have shelter in this time,” Ryan added. 

Convoy of Hope is taking precautions to mitigate safety concerns across parts of Haiti. Doing so keeps Convoy’s team members, partners, and supplies safe and secure so more people can quickly receive help and hope.

As Convoy’s response continues, we will post further updates here. To contribute to Convoy of Hope in this time of need, click here.

August 17, 2021 | 2:35 p.m.

HAITI — Tropical Depression Grace has gained strength and is now a tropical storm. Forecasts predict the potential for Grace to gain hurricane strength in the days to come as it leaves Haiti drenched and recovering. The National Hurricane Center reported up to 15 inches of rain in some parts of Haiti, as well as risk for flash floods and mudslides.

Many of those affected by Saturday’s earthquake and subsequent aftershocks struggled to find shelter as the storm — the third natural disaster in a week’s time — set its sights on Haiti. Displaced individuals scrambled to keep themselves and their remaining belongings safe and dry as precipitation began.

Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency reported that 1,400 fatalities have now been confirmed as a result of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake which took place Saturday morning. 

Convoy of Hope’s response began Saturday and has continued throughout the beginning of the week. Convoy’s team members and local partners have committed to distributing 1 million meals to those affected. Additionally, Convoy is providing sheltering supplies, hygiene kits, medical supplies, and other necessities.

To contribute to Convoy of Hope’s response to this disaster, click here.

August 16, 2021 | 2:45 p.m.

HAITI — Convoy of Hope teams and partners on the ground in Haiti are now bracing for additional complications. On Monday, Tropical Depression Grace began drenching areas of Haiti after teams had just begun their recovery efforts following the earthquake Saturday morning. Forecasters are predicting more than 10 inches of rain in some areas.

Convoy of Hope’s response will continue, despite the inclement weather. In addition to other relief supplies, Convoy’s response to this disaster includes food, water, solar lanterns, and tarps for those in desperate need of shelter as the tropical depression bears down on Haiti.

“I am worried about the upcoming storm as it can complicate the situation for us,” Jerry Chandler, head of Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency, said on Sunday.

Immediately following the earthquake, landslides, and rubble isolated some areas by blocking roads, including the road between Jérémie and Les Cayes — both of which sustained heavy damage in the earthquake on Saturday morning.

The additional precipitation could easily lead to added mudslides and flash floods, further complicating relief efforts.

Consistent aftershocks have relentlessly shaken many areas — the largest registered as a magnitude 5.2 quake. Experts predict that aftershocks may continue for weeks.

The official number has risen to more than 1,300 fatalities, according to Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency. The Haitian Prime Minister declared a one-month state of emergency in response to the disaster.

On Monday, Convoy of Hope sent a barge full of additional relief supplies to affected areas. Meanwhile, Convoy’s partners and team members continued to reach people affected by this crisis.

To contribute to Convoy of Hope as relief and recovery efforts continue in Haiti, click here.

August 16, 2021 | 10:35 a.m.

HAITI — Photos from areas devastated by Saturday morning’s earthquake are beginning to emerge. The death toll rose to more than 1,000 over the weekend. Convoy of Hope’s partners and team members are currently responding to needs in affected areas.

August 15, 2021 | 5:12 p.m.

HAITI — Convoy of Hope, alongside partner Mission of Hope, plans to distribute an initial 1 million meals to those affected by the earthquake that struck Haiti yesterday. In addition to food, Convoy will also distribute hygiene kits and sheltering supplies. Thankfully, Convoy’s in-country warehouse was not damaged by the quake, so distributions can begin immediately. 

Government agencies in Haiti have reported that at least 724 people have died and more than 2,800 have been injured. However, the death toll could reach into the thousands.

Convoy of Hope began feeding children in Haiti in 2007, but the program expanded immensely following the 2010 earthquake. Alongside partners at Mission of Hope, Convoy now feeds 104,307 children at nearly 500 program centers.

August 14, 2021 | 2:55 p.m.

HAITI — At approximately 7:30 a.m. on the morning of August 14, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. Convoy of Hope quickly sprang into action.

“As soon as the earthquake hit in Haiti this morning, our team both at our headquarters and on the ground began working to figure out exactly what happened, what the needs are, and how we can assist moving forward,” said Ryan Grabill of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team.

Before the earthquake was over, Convoy of Hope already had relief supplies staged and ready for distribution. We are now providing food, water, hygiene kits, and medical supplies to those in need following this disaster.

The quake took place approximately 78 miles west of Port Au Prince — Haiti’s capital and most densely populated city. Initial reports indicated that the damage was widespread and the casualty count is harrowing, but it seems that Port Au Prince may have been spared the worst of it.

This disaster came hot on the heels of Tropical Depression Fred, which brought high winds and heavy rains in Haiti just a few days prior. Tropical Storm Grace is expected to impact Haiti in the days to follow — the third disaster to strike Haiti in less than a week.

Convoy of Hope confirmed that its team members in the area are safe. Responses from Convoy’s program centers around the country are still pending.

To contribute to Convoy of Hope as we respond to this disaster, click here.