Following the past weekend’s earthquake in Haiti, Mark Presson, chief executive officer of Ellinwood-based Star of Hope International, which operates a ministry in Haiti, issued a news release regarding conditions and needs for aid in the country.

Star of Hope is a 50-year-old organization, with 36 years experience providing aid to children in Haiti, primarily helping meet educational needs.

“Late (Sunday) evening, the government of Haiti declared a one-month state of emergency. All government staff is called to mobilize to bring the help they can to the victims in the south and greatest affected areas, and to help assist and even rescue people stuck under the rubble and debris,” Presson stated.

As of Monday night, the Associated Press had reported a death toll over 1,400, with more than 6,000 injured in the 7.2 magnitude quake centered about 80 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince.

Aside from the earthquake, Presson noted the country is experiencing several other humanitarian crises, stemming from the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise.

“The gang activity is huge now and it is very violent,” he noted. “About one month before the president was shot, three different gangs camped out in Martissant, a small village just east of Carrefour, blocking the city and all traffic from Port-au-Prince to west and south to the most (earthquake) damaged areas.”

Presson noted the problem has been compounded, because gangs are stopping all transportation in those areas through violent means. 

“Anyone who travels through the area runs the risk of being robbed at the least,” Presson noted. “Being killed is also a large risk (for aid workers).

“One result of this is the people in south Haiti who have no storehouses, or ports where they can get food from, will run out of food fast,” Presson said.

Presson said the organization’s only way to get aid to quake victims right now is by helicopter, a process which he said is difficult and costly. So far, Presson noted, aid has been slow to come to the country through the U.S. government.

Presson said the organization hopes at some point to be able to send volunteers to the country to help, but staff already in the country have deemed it too unsafe at this time.

Star of Hope staff in the country report most of the hospitals in the area have run out of medical supplies and lack qualified staff to deal with the massive number of injuries from the quake. Meanwhile, the armed gangs have made reaching those areas with medical professionals and supplies difficult.

“This earthquake is one more disaster that has been added to several existing disasters such as the health crisis, the food crisis, the armed gang crisis, the long-lasting political and economic crisis that has plunged the country into chaos,” noted Star of Hope staff member Tony Bursiquoit.

“The whole country is in a total humanitarian crisis which requires an emergency food aid intervention,” Presson said. Full support for children’s education is also needed) to help parents in need pay their children’s school fees over the next year.

While they are not able to send volunteers to the country, Presson noted there are ways individuals can help the organization provide relief. 

He noted the primary needs currently are for food and medical assistance. Those wishing to help, particularly on the corporate level, can contact Star of Hope by calling 866-653-0321, or by calling Presson directly at 620-204-1865, or by visiting their website at www.starofhope.us.