HAITI (ANS) -- With at least an estimated one-third of Haiti's 9 million population severely affected by Tuesday's 7.2 magnitude earthquake, Christian relief and development groups have been quick to respond to the disaster.

Two pictures -- compliments of World Relief USA -- show a before (below) and after of the presidential palace known as the Maison Blanc (the White House) in Port-au-Prince. It is a good representation of the devastation that has hit Port-au-Prince, a city which has a population of two million. (Photo: World Relief USA via Bishop Gerry Seale).

The quake had a magnitude of 7.0 according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and was centered just 10 miles from Port-au-Prince. The center was also relatively shallow, less than 10 miles below ground, raising the risk of damage.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The nation's ambassador to the United States called the earthquake a "catastrophe."

News reports said the airport was in good condition and that officials were checking the status of the port ahead of the arrival of relief supplies by sea.

Chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (RRT) and representatives from Samaritan's Purse are en route to the earthquake-ravaged nation of Haiti.

A BGEA news advisory says they are traveling to Port-au-Prince to evaluate how the BGEA and Samaritan's Purse can most effectively meet the emotional, spiritual and physical needs of the area in the wake of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that toppled buildings and buried victims.

"Chaplains will arrive today in Haiti to assess the level of need and to determine how to best provide emotional and spiritual care in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake that devastated the impoverished country," said Jack Munday, Director of the Rapid Response Team.

"Please pray for the victims of the earthquakes, especially those who are still searching through the rubble looking for lost loved ones. Pray also for our team as they bring hope and comfort in the midst of this disaster."

The BGEA says this is likely to be a major deployment for the Rapid Response Team.

Samaritan's Purse Sending Relief Team and Supplies to Haiti

The N.C.-based international relief organization responded immediately after earthquake to provide victims with shelter, clean water and medical help

Samaritan's Purse teams of highly-trained disaster experts began mobilizing overnight at the North Carolina-based headquarters and are now on their way to Haiti, where the organization headed by Franklin Graham is responding with its first wave of relief.

Disaster experts are still assessing the damage to determine immediate needs and to make adjustments to the overall scope and size of the relief effort. Immediate response from Samaritan's Purse includes:

A chartered DC-3 loaded with disaster relief supplies
Medical staff
Water engineer
4,800 blankets
160 rolls of plastic
2,200 solar-powered flashlights
2 water filtration units that can provide
10,000 gallons of clean drinking water a day
1,152 jerry cans for clean water
1,440 hygiene kits

Another Samaritan's Purse relief flight with additional staff and supplies is scheduled to fly to Haiti Thursday.

Members of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Rapid Response Team will also work with Samaritan's Purse to help victims of Haiti’s earthquake. Three pastors trained in crisis counseling are traveling to Haiti to help earthquake victims as they deal with the emotional trauma of the disaster.

Samaritan's Purse is a non-profit organization that provides immediate, no-red-tape response to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situations - especially in locations where few others are working. Samaritan's Purse has worked in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine and persecution.

Following the 2008 earthquake in China, Samaritan's Purse was the first non-governmental organization outside of China to airlift aid to the region.

A cargo jet chartered by Samaritan's Purse was used to airlift some 90 tons of emergency supplies to Chengdu, China after the deadly earthquake in the region. The plane was loaded with heavy-duty plastic sheeting for emergency shelters, water filtration systems, medical and hygiene kits, and 15,000 blankets. Some 200 water storage tanks were also distributed to devastated communities and are helping to provide villagers with easy access to safe, clean water.

Interview Opportunities:

**Franklin Graham, relief expert and president of Samaritan’s Purse since 1979

**Ken Isaacs, 22-year veteran of international aid, head of international projects for Samaritan's Purse

Media Contact:
Erik Ogren
Senior Public Relations Specialist
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
(704) 577-2109 - cell
eogren@bgea.org
www.billygraham.org
twitter.com/BGEAMediaPR   

Hopegivers International says the major earthquake struck just off the coast of Haiti late Tuesday afternoon, causing extensive damage in the capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding towns and villages.

Hopegivers says it is expected that thousands are dead or buried in the rubble of collapsed buildings. The earthquake is being reported as the largest ever recorded to strike this region.

A Hopegivers spokesman said the fact that the quake struck shortly before nightfall is likely to hinder rescue efforts and the full extent of the damage will not be known until daybreak.

At this time Hopegivers believes that those involved with their work in Haiti are safe, but they willl be receiving full reports in the next couple of days.

In the meantime, Hopegivers has set up a Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, which they will be using to provide assistance in the aftermath of this tragedy.

The Hopegivers spokesman said Haiti is already one of the most impoverished countries in the World, "and they will need our help and care now more than ever. We encourage you to stand with us during this time and give generously to assist with the relief efforts."

Hopegivers says that in the next few weeks and months they will update supporters on their efforts to assist with relief efforts.

Contact Info:
Hopegivers International
(866) 373-4673
www.Hopegivers.org

Faith and Action, a Christian mission to government officials in Washington DC, has also launched an emergency appeal for relief for the people of Haiti following yesterday's catastrophic earthquake.

Reverend Rob Schenck, President of Faith and Action, has had a long personal friendship with the Ambassador of Haiti, His Excellency, Raymond Joseph.

Faith and Action says Mr. Joseph is an evangelical Christian and son of a Baptist minister. The ambassador's first full time Christian work was to head the Bible translation team that produced the first New Testament in the Haitian Creole language.

In an early morning meeting Wednesday at the embassy of Haiti, Rev. Schenck assured Ambassador Joseph of the prayers and pledge of practical assistance for the people of Haiti.

Rev. Schenck stated: "Faith and Action has created an emergency relief fund that will work through several Christian humanitarian relief agencies presently working in Haiti and will also consult with the embassy in Washington to determine the greatest areas of need. Tax deductible donations can be made online at www.faithandaction.org. 100 percent of the donations received will be used for direct aid in Haiti."

Rev. Schenck is available for further comment by contacting Peggy Nienaber at 202-546-8329 ext 104.

New Directions International (NDI) states that: "when you take one of the poorest nations in the world and combine it with shoddy construction, inadequate infrastructure, and a powerful 7.0 earthquake, the result is an absolute catastrophe.

"Such is the case in Haiti. As the extensive damage becomes more evident today, desperate Haitians have been working through the night to sift through the rubble and look for friends and family members," an NDI spokesman said in an e-mail press release.

NDI says Haiti is totally ill-prepared for a crisis of this magnitude.

"Like never before, the Haitian people will need the assistance of caring people like you and me. New Directions International (NDI) is responding to the crisis in Haiti. Will you help equip NDI's national partners in Haiti to provide immediate assistance to the many desperate Haitians at this hour?" said NDI CEO Joseph Williams.

Williams said that Haiti is NDI's oldest country of involvement.

"Currently, we are feeding 2,000 at-risk children a day there through Feed the Hunger. Our first priority is to make sure these kids are okay and to continue providing them with nutritious meals."

Williams had already planned trips to Haiti in both February and March, leading teams of a dozen or so to reach out to the children we're helping.

"Now these trips take on a new level of urgency and focus. We will do our best through our Haitian church leaders to get aid and assistance to those that need it most. Join us in meeting this crisis head-on. And please pray for the people of Haiti in this crucial hour."

Donations may be made through NDI at www.newdirections.org .

Contact: Joseph Williams, CEO
or Scott Hahn,
New Directions International,
888-772-9634

Meanwhile, London's Premier Radio reports that a Haitian Methodist minister working in Liverpool is waiting to hear the fate of his family after the massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti.

Rev. Marcus Torchon has not been able to contact his two sisters, and can't get in touch with other family members, the radio station said.

Premier Radio reports that frantic rescue efforts are underway to free people trapped in the rubble after the earthquake hit. The destruction in the Caribbean country is said to be staggering, even in an impoverished nation accustomed to natural disaster.

The radio station says the minister only managed to speak to his nephew before the line was cut off as major phone networks were affected by devastating aftershocks.

He told Premier how he is coping: "I have been able to contact some of my Haitian friends across the world. They too have been having the same problem, that’s one way of coping with it. Of course we are a people of faith and I rely heavily on the Lord -- He will see us through."

According to Premier, bodies and rubble lined the street of the capital, Port-au-Prince, as the full scale of the disaster began to emerge. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to be homeless, with the Red Cross estimating that as many as three million could be affected. The death toll was expected to climb into the hundreds, but no official figure has been released.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to do all he can to help and says the UK will provide firefighters, emergency equipment and finance.

A team of more than 60 search and rescue experts are preparing to travel to the Caribbean, with sniffer dogs and equipment. The United States, France, Canada and governments across Latin America are also gearing up to help.

As nations around the world send rescue teams, Magalie Boyer from World Vision in Haiti says the devastation is huge: "There are extensive, extensive signs of damage. We could see a couple of apartment buildings that totally collapsed, and they were 7-8 storey apartments."

Premier Radio said the quake was the strongest to hit the country in 200 years and was felt as far away as Cuba. It struck at 4.53pm yesterday and was followed by as many as 30 aftershocks, the radio station reported.

The station said that Haiti's presidential palace and numerous other government buildings in the capital collapsed after the tremor. A hospital was also flattened, with reports that patients were buried under the rubble.

Among the fatalities are workers in the UN peacekeeping headquarters in Haiti. The building collapsed under the strain of the earthquake and everyone inside is expected to have died.

Christian Aid had to pull three of their staff members from the rubble that was their office.

Orange County Nonprofit Responding to Earthquake in Haiti

An Orange County, CA, faith-based ministry -- Giving Children Hope -- is talking with partners in Haiti, determining the greatest needs of the earthquake victims.

Monetary donations are currently being accepted at www.gchope.org  to procure disaster relief items. All monetary and disaster relief donations can be sent to 8332 Commonwealth Ave. Buena Park, CA 90621.

GCHope has recently sent medical supplies to aid orphans and to replenish a local hospital in that country.

Giving Children Hope is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to alleviating poverty (domestically and abroad) through disaster relief, health and community development, vocational training and advocacy. For more information, visit www.gchope.org

Media Contact:
Harmony Trevino
Giving Children Hope
Communications Coordinator
Ph: 714-523-4454 x. 122
htrevino@godaid.org  
www.gchope.org  

Haitian Orphanage Rides Out Massive Earthquake and Aftershocks

"It took everything off the walls and looks like a hurricane hit," said Bobby and Sherry Burnette, the founders and directors of Love A Child Orphanage, who are reporting widespread destruction in Haiti in the aftermath of Tuesday's massive earthquake.

Bobby Burnette spoke with LightQuest Media by satellite phone and Skype last night, and reported on the status in Fond Parisien, approximately 55 miles from the capital city of Port-au-Prince.

Burnette said there were no casualties on the Love A Child campus, which houses over 70 orphans, and the main orphanage building "made it through OK.

"There is damage to some of the other facilities, and the children slept outside on blankets last night, too afraid to go back inside the building.

Bobby Burnette said he is hearing reports of many, many deaths, and of collapsed orphanages elsewhere. Earthquake victims are beginning to arrive at Love A Child's Jesus Healing Center for medical care. A very high death count is expected.

Bobby and Sherry will be posting earthquake news updates and photos on Love A Child's website as available. Donations to the relief effort can also be made on the website at www.LoveAChild.com .

Bobby will be available for limited interviews by phone or Skype. Please contact Walter Warren at LightQuest Media, www.loveachild.com  
918-794-6464 for more information.

Love A Child is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Humanitarian Organization, and also a Private Voluntary Organization (PVO). Love A Child is member of the Evangelical Council of Financial Accountability (ECFA), which has the highest standards of accountability for non-profits. Love A Child also has the Independent Charities of America (ICA) "Best in America" Seal of Approval.

Bobby and Sherry Burnette have worked in Haiti since 1972, and live at the Love A Child Orphanage. Love A Child's outreach programs include 14 Love A Child schools, which educate and feed over 5,000 children each day, and food distribution programs that feed thousands of Haitian families. Love A Child also holds remote medical clinics with trained medical and nursing staff and a mobile ambulance unit.

Christian Aid Ministries, a non-profit, tax exempt, 501(c)(3) organization, based in Berlin, OH, provides humanitarian aid and Christian literature to the needy around the world.

Spokesman Philip Troyer said: "We have a fairly extensive on-going work in Haiti and have been there since the late 1980s. We have full a warehouse as well as missionary staff and work with schools, food for families, elderly and widows, medical and other programs.

"We (also) have a number of missionary families on the ground in Haiti as well as employ national workers. We are and will continue to be responding to the needs following the recent earthquake."

More information:
Philip Troyer
Christian Aid Ministries
Berlin, OH
330-893-2428

Elsewhere in The Caribbean, Bishop Gerry Seale says many persons are contacting his office about how to respond to the Haïtian earthquake.

"As you will appreciate this is a major disaster and it may be a few days before we understand the scope of what has happened in Haïti. There are numerous NGO and FBO (Faith-Based Organizations) operations in Haïti running various developmental program before the earthquake hit. These agencies will be first responders on the ground."

Seale went on to say: "I have already heard from World Relief and Tearfund as they gear up to respond. Integral Alliance -- a grouping of about a dozen major Christian relief agencies -- is already discussing coordination of their responses to effectively accomplish as much as possible without unnecessary duplication and wastage of resources."

He added: "Many will want to respond to friends and family and others will respond through their denominations. I will keep in touch with Integral Alliance, part of the World Evangelical Alliance family, to see where we may be able to fit into what their members are doing."

Seale outlined what can be done now to help the people of Haiti:

**Generate ongoing intercession for the people of Haïti and the Government of Haïti. They are dealing with devastation and destruction that is unprecedented in Haïti or anywhere in the Caribbean in our life times.

**Generate ongoing intercession for the responders who will be going into Haïti. It is not unusual for these persons to be plagued with deep depression and exhaustion as they seek to help the injured and dying and as they move people from shock and grief to rebuilding the nation.

**Pray earnestly for the coordination of the aid that will be flowing into Haïti from numerous sources. Pray against corruption that always raises its ugly head in these situations and pray for the aid to quickly reach the people who need it.

**Pray for pastors and church leaders who – while dealing with their own shock, grief and loss – will be ministering to everyone around them. Pray for their spiritual, psychological and emotional strength and their daily renewal so that they can minister effectively in this situation.

**Pray that the country will be able to move quickly from disaster relief to planned reconstruction and that God will grant wisdom to rebuild stronger and better.

**Pray for all those who will be making decisions on the relief and reconstruction phases. With God’s help Haïti can rise from this tragedy a stronger and better nation.

**Finally, begin to make preparations for a meaningful response to our brothers and sisters in Haïti.

Seale concluded: "I will keep in touch with the major Evangelical Christian relief agencies and seek ways in which we can partner in meaningful ways."

Bishop Gerald A. Seale, DD,
General Secretary and CEO,
Tel: 1-246-427-9746
Alternate Email: gerry@caribbeanevangelical.org  
Web Site: www.caribbeanevangelical.org  

Feeding The Nations is a 501-C-3 non-profit Christian emergency relief organization located in South Bend, IN. Its president is Dr. Steve Sumrall, the son of the late Dr. Lester Sumrall.

A media advisory from Randy Souza, Director, Feeding The Nations stated that Feeding The Nations (FTN) is providing food and water to the victims of the Haiti earthquake. In 2009 they responded in helping 24 nations around the world.

A rapid response team located in Santiago, Dominican Republic is working with Feeding The Nations in buying the supplies in the Dominican Republic and trucking them into Haiti. This team consists of doctors, medical workers, emergency help workers and pastors. This ministry will be the point organization for FTN at it is called Casa Grande Centro de Misiones International.

The news release says Feeding The Nations has been helping for many years to one of the largest churches and ministries in Port Au Prince, Haiti. This ministry is responsible for several schools and orphanages in Port au Prince. (Fishers Of Men International).

Feeding The Nations is purchasing portable water systems that can produce 600 gallons per day and the water can come form any source and they produce surgical pure clean water. They will run off of any power source, even a car battery and can be taken in on someone back.

The first week of 2010 Fishers of Men Ministries received 272,000 meals from Feeding the Nations, and they were off-loaded into their warehouse in Port Au Prince. The meals will now be used for immediate help but FTN says they need to plan on sending millions of more meals.

Toll free number 1-866-572-4483 (GIVE)
Web site at www.feedingthenations.org

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London (United Kingdom) newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. While in the UK, Michael traveled to Canada and the United States, Albania,Yugoslavia, Holland, Germany,and Czechoslovakia. He has reported for ANS from Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Israel, Jordan, China,and Russia. Michael's volunteer involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department -- 'Michael Ireland Media Missionary' (MIMM) -- of A.C.T. International of P.O.Box 1649, Brentwood, TN 37024-1649,at: Artists in Christian Testimony (A.C.T.) International where you can donate online to support his stated mission of 'Truth Through Christian Journalism.' If you have a news or feature story idea for Michael, please contact him at: ANS Chief Reporter