Baltimore, Md. (IOCC) — International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is working in partnership with Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) to deliver two of the most critical needs in Haiti today – water and shelter. Water purification equipment that will serve 10,000 people and 500 family tents, as well as other supplies, are being airlifted to Haiti. The aid, valued at more than $600,000, is expected to reach Port-au-Prince by Saturday, January 16.
IOCC’s participation in the airlift is made possible through a $20,000 emergency grant by the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society. The Orthodox Church in America (OCA) has also expressed its solidarity with the people of Haiti by donating $10,000 to IOCC’s relief effort.
Three days after an earthquake devastated wide sections of the capital of Port-au-Prince and buried countless people, traumatized Haitians were still sleeping in parks and streets, fearing aftershocks. The airlift provided by IOCC and its ecumenical partners includes water tanks and water purification equipment, tents, and personnel to provide technical assistance.
IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), continues to coordinate its response with Action by Churches Together (ACT) and Orthodox partners on the ground to address the urgent humanitarian need for emergency supplies such as food, safe water, hygiene supplies, and shelter. IOCC is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy. Efforts by IOCC staff are ongoing to monitor needs in Haiti as they emerge and to coordinate shipments of aid through the alliance.
You can help the victims of disasters around the world, like the Haiti Earthquake, by making a financial gift to the IOCC International Emergency Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief as well as long-term support through the provision of emergency aid, recovery assistance and other support to help those in need. To make a gift, please visit www.iocc.org, call toll free at 1-877-803-IOCC (4622), or mail a check or money order payable to IOCC, P.O. Box 630225, Baltimore, Md. 21263-0225.
