Hurricane Matthew Hits Hard- The Church is Responding

Nazarene Compassionate Ministries:

On Monday night, Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti with maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour, causing devastation and chaos before pushing across the eastern tip of Cuba. Massive amounts of rain have affected other parts of the Caribbean, including Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. As the hurricane continues, residents of the Bahamas as well as residents of eastern Florida and U.S. states along the coast up through North Carolina are bracing for the storm, and hundreds of thousands of people are evacuating.

In the aftermath of devastation, the church is responding.

HELP NOW.

The storm has made its way through the Caribbean, but it hit Haiti particularly hard. Many people in Haiti live in fragile houses or even temporary-shelters leftover from the devastating 2010 earthquake. Now, many of those homes have been destroyed, along with crops and livelihoods. Radio reports have described shoulder-high floodwaters roaring into homes

The floodwaters and a lack of clean water are expected to bring a second catastrophe to Haiti: a potential cholera outbreak. A cholera epidemic ravaged the country following the earthquake.

The Church of the Nazarene in Haiti comprises 11 districts and more than 500 local churches. Four districts are in the southern peninsula and the island of La Gonave, which were directly affected by the hurricane.

Urgent needs include water filters, food, shelter, and blankets. The Church of the Nazarene in Haiti is working to distribute a few hundred crisis care kits already on hand to provide for sanitation necessities, and the church also has a couple hundred tents and tarps available to distribute. Leaders are currently doing assessments to determine areas of greatest need.

Assessments are still underway to determine damage in Cuba and Jamaica and how Nazarene church communities have been affected.

Church leaders are requesting prayer for families and individuals who have been affected by Hurricane Matthew.

A man clears debris after Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, October 5, 2016. REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares

HELP NOW.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Pray

Please pray for those grieving the loss of loved ones. Pray for those who lost their homes and have no means to rebuild. Pray for protection of lives, especially from cholera. Pray for vulnerable children and senior adults. Pray that people would know God’s comfort and peace. And pray for churches working to care for their neighbors and meet urgent needs.

Give

Churches and individuals around the world can provide support through the Hurricane Matthew Response Fund. Donations will be used for immediate needs, as well as long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.