Hurricane Relief Video

Haiti, the poorest country in our hemisphere, has been ravaged by storms that recently swept through the region. “Many people have lost their houses, their crops and their animals. The storm will leave them with nothing. There are no words to describe it,” says Father Duken Augustin, who works with Food For The Poor in northern Haiti.

Father Duken Augustin, a partner with Food For The Poor in northern Haiti, works diligently to bring hope and comfort to the people in his community after the devastating storms. More from Father Duken in our Hurricane Blog.

Fierce winds and heavy flooding have devastated the lives of countless families throughout the Caribbean. Natural disasters, combined with rising fuel and food costs, threaten the survival of the poorest of the poor. The need for help is urgent.

Father Duken has dedicated his life to serving the poor and works to help those in the worst conditions. It’s obvious that this disaster has shaken him.

“In Gonaives, there were 4 meters [approximately13 feet] of flooding. I’ve heard reports of 10 people standing on the roof of one house after the flooding. We are praying that we can help. Gonaives is completely cut off.”

Torrential rains result in massive flooding and destruction in the Dominican Republic.

The desperation in Father Duken’s voice is clearly evident over the phone line. So many people are suffering. The sadness in his voice speaks volumes.

He continues, “We work hard to help people have a better life. It takes a lot of faith. The situation [here] was hard before, but now people are discouraged. Some of the children are in a very bad condition. This is hard… This is hard… This is hard.” His repetition reflects the magnitude of the problem as his voice trails off.

Father Duken concludes, “I don’t know what the people will do. There is an emptiness of life. People are walking around without knowing where they are going.”

As we conclude, we reassure him that he and the people of Haiti will be in our thoughts and prayers. He says with a combination of gratitude and sadness, “Thank you. God bless you.”

Read our hurricane blog.