Hurricane Matthew Emergency Response

Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti on Tuesday with fierce 145 mph winds and torrential rain, causing widespread flooding and devastating destruction in the country’s southern peninsula. This was the first category 4 hurricane to hit Haiti since 1964.

Rescue workers have been working around the clock to reach the worst hit areas of Haiti's southern peninsula that are cut off due to washed out bridges, impassable roads, and severed communication networks. While the full extent of the damage remains unknown, aerial images show flattened houses, decimated infrastructure, and extensive agricultural destruction. Several coastal towns were completed destroyed.

Heartline Ministries is launching an emergency relief and recovery program to meet the critical needs of children and families we serve and provide much needed resources to partner organizations working in the worst affected areas. Trusted partner organizations Christian Veterinary Mission and Mission Aviation Fellowship have extensive experience working with grassroots organizations in the southern provinces of Sud and Grand’Anse where many thousands of people will require emergency assistance in the coming days and weeks of this humanitarian crisis. 



Aerial photo taken by Tim Schandorff, Mission Aviation Fellowship

Prior to the hurricane’s landfall in the southern provinces, thousands of Haitians were still living in temporary camps set up for displaced people following the 2010 earthquake that killed over 200,000 people. The region has also been ravaged by a devastating cholera epidemic. The number of cholera cases will dramatically increase without clean water and sanitation.

Heartline Ministries and partners are committed to the following principles:

• Locally sourcing and purchasing all food, supplies, and other emergency materials.
• Working through well-established and trusted grassroots organizations led by local Haitian leaders.
• Adhering to the SPHERE universal minimum standards in humanitarian response.

Please Help Now:

• Pray. Please pray for safety, protection, and relief assistance for victims of this disaster.
• Give. Please help us respond quickly during the critical first hours and days of this response.
• Follow. We will post real time updates to our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. Please follow us there to stay connected.

A note to faithful Heartline Ministries donors: The children and families served through Heartline programs are counting on your continued support. We appreciate your ongoing, regular giving that funds our existing ministries.

To donate by check, please make checks payable to Heartline Ministries and designate "Hurricane Relief." Mail to:
Heartline Ministries
P.O. Box 898
Sunnyside, WA 98944

About Heartline Ministries
Heartline Ministries has been working in Haiti for over 25 years. Based in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, Heartline Ministries works to strengthen Haitian families and prevent children from becoming orphans by empowering Haitians with education, employment, maternal and infant health care, job skills training, and Christian outreach. For more information, visit www.heartlineministries.org.

Stewardship is of utmost importance to Heartline Ministries. We are committed to excellent financial management of the resources entrusted to us. Donations will be used for emergency relief and long-term recovery efforts in response to Hurricane Matthew.