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Monday, July 26, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nicole Aptekar @ 909-851-0326
naptekar@maf.org
MEDIA ADVISORY
Mission Aviation Fellowship President Uniquely Qualified
to Give Insider Update on Post-Quake Haiti
to Give Insider Update on Post-Quake Haiti
Now Coordinating Rebuilding Efforts with Ministries, NGOs and U.N.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—The recent six-month anniversary of the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake has brought Haiti back into to the news. But much of the post-quake information—both negative and positive—has been overlooked by the mainstream media.
Mission Aviation Fellowship and John Boyd, MAF president, are in a unique position to provide accurate, insightful updates on the Haiti situation like few other organizations.
MAF has ministered in Haiti since 1986. It knows Haiti's geography, language and culture. MAF was present during the earthquake. Following the quake, MAF coordinated transportation for hundreds of aid workers and tons of cargo. Since then, MAF has worked with hundreds of agencies and the UN to help rebuild Haiti. Boyd, himself, has served in Haiti as an MAF pilot.
Among insights Boyd can expand on are:
- Most of Port-au-Prince still has no electricity or running water.
- Thousands of bodies are still buried in the debris. At current rates, clearing Haiti will take 20 years.
- Today 1.6 million displaced persons are scattered in more than 1,300 tent cities. Many shelters have ripped apart in rainy season storms. Forecasters predict an active 2010 hurricane season.
- Crime, violence and squalor are rampant. UN troops and national police have raided camps in search of criminals and escaped convicts. Amid near-anarchy, women and children are vulnerable to rape and other violence. Children face extreme peril to their safety and survival.
- A birthrate spike carries heightened risk of HIV. Some camps have HIV rates higher than national average. Haiti's population increases by 1 percent annually, yet Haiti cannot produce enough food for its people, who at best typically eat only one meal a day.
- Haitian joblessness is at 90 percent. Most earn less than $1 a day. Prices have risen 25 percent.
- Good news: A productive spring harvest may increase food availability, lowering food prices.
- There are many compelling reasons why the American public should continue to support the Haiti rebuilding effort.
Founded in the U.S. in 1945, MAF (www.maf.org) missionary teams of aviation, communications, technology and education specialists overcome barriers in remote areas, transform lives and build God's Kingdom by enabling the work of more than 1,000 partner organizations. With its fleet of 58 bush aircraft—including the new KODIAK—MAF serves in 42 countries across Africa, Asia, Eurasia and Latin America. MAF pilots transport missionaries, medical personnel, medicines and relief supplies, as well as conduct thousands of emergency medical evacuations in remote areas. MAF also provides telecommunications services, such as satellite Internet access, high-frequency radios, electronic mail and other wireless systems.
