Well, when it rains it pours. And now as I write this update to you, thanks to Tropical Storm Grace, it is pouring in southern Haiti on the multitudes made homeless by Saturday’s earthquake. And even those not made homeless are staying outdoors because of the aftershocks and fears of another quake.

Along with other efforts, Beyond Borders just secured nearly a thousand large tarps that will provide a bit of shelter to some of those affected. Our priority will be to provide coverage for patients at hospitals in two of the three largest cities affected by the earthquake.

This is the first outlay of our joint earthquake response effort with the Haiti Response Coalition, a coalition of Haitian and small international NGOs co-founded by Beyond Borders after the 2010 earthquake. I am deeply grateful to every one of you who has already given. Your solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Haiti means so, so much.

Currently, the official death toll from the quake is 1,419, with 6,000 injured, and countless thousands more made homeless. Thankfully, everyone on our staff in Haiti is safe and accounted for. Some staff members and many in our network have family members and loved ones who were directly affected by the quake. And, as you can imagine, many on our staff who lived through the 2010 quake are reliving some of the trauma of that unprecedented tragedy that leveled Haiti’s capital.

I’ve shared with my colleagues the outpouring of messages of solidarity and prayers for the people of Haiti and for the Beyond Borders team that so many of you have expressed. I’m profoundly moved by your care and concern.

If you’d like to support the earthquake response efforts of Beyond Borders and the HRC, you can make a gift on our website: https://beyondborders.net/donate/

We will continue to share updates as we know more.

With deep gratitude,
David