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FROM RELIEF WEB:

OPERATION BLESSING INTERNATIONAL PREPARING FOR HURRICANE STRIKE IN HAITI

Source: Operation Blessing International

Date: 02 Nov 2010

With 1 Million People Still Living In Tents, Plus Current Cholera Outbreak, Storm Has Potential To Be Extremely Devastating, Says Bill Horan

Port au Prince, Haiti (November 2, 2010) - Operation Blessing International (OBI) is preparing for a possible hurricane strike later this week as Tomas spins nearer to the island nation. Current National Hurricane Center predictions show the storm intensifying as it passes southeast of Jamaica and then turns north directly towards Haiti later this week.

Bill Horan, president of Operation Blessing International, says, "If Tomas strikes Haiti as a major hurricane, this has the potential to be one of the biggest disasters in recent memory. There are over one million vulnerable people living in tents, and there's also an outbreak of cholera - which would only escalate as torrential rains cause flooding, spread disease and contaminate drinking water. It's unfathomable to think what might happen."

To prepare for this storm, Operation Blessing International has mobilized its disaster relief team in Haiti. Today, David Darg, international disaster relief director for the charity, readied a WMI water purification plant for deployment on a truck so that it can be sent to the hardest hit area within hours of the storm. The unit is able to produce up to 10,000 gallons of clean drinking water each day. OBI currently operates 33 WMI purification units in and around Port-au-Prince as well as in areas hit by recent cholera outbreak.

The team also prepared a number of portable family-sized water purifiers and other supplies including tarps and non-perishable food. Depending on the path of the storm, the team will be staged in either Port au Prince or Jacmel.

OBI is also continuing its efforts to combat the cholera outbreak. One of the first responders in the St. Marc region, the team has deployed five WMI water purification plants including three in remote villages that were using the contaminated river for drinking water, one unit that was flown by a UN helicopter to another remote village last Thursday, and one installed yesterday in St Marc's central hospital at the request of Partners In Health, who is managing the outbreak on behalf of the Haiti Ministry of Health. OBI has also distributed dozens of Lifesaver Jerry cans in the area.

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