Mobilizing Churches

01/20/10

1. Disaster Relief Assessment Teams

• A Southern Baptist assessment team is on the ground, and we are having contact with them daily.
• Travel in PaP is hazardous at best.  Roads and infrastructure are badly damaged.
• Currently all units must be self-contained (providing own food & water, sleeping in tents).

2. Deployment of Critical-Needs Teams

• It will take several weeks to get all of them in place.
• Team members must have first-hand Disaster Relief or trauma center experience.
• Strong spiritual preparation is necessary.
• The sights, sounds, and the smell of death are permeating the city.
• Safety and security of these teams are of major concern.

3. Travel in and around Haiti

• Heavy Traffic: 200-mile (7 hr) drive from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince is now taking up to 18 hours.
• The airport still closed to most commercial flights.
• The airport, ports, and roads are heavily damaged.
• Vehicular travel is slow and hazardous.

4. Deployment of Long-term Mission Groups

• Estimated first deployment is 90 - 120 days out.
• Spiritual preparation will be necessary.
• Chaplain, food distribution, medical, communication, and other teams
• Restoration and rebuild teams

Critical Issues and Concerns

• Second earthquake: 6.1 on the scale hit around 6:00 AM Wednesday, January 20, 2010. The epicenter was 36 miles west-southwest of Port-au-Prince.
• Safety & security of teams
• Multiple buildings with thousands of people have not been entered
• All volunteers must be self-contained (food, water, equipment)
• Teams must be prepared to sleep outside and/or in tents (no facilities to house mission groups at this time)