Religious Leaders Call on Haitian Authorities to Help with Humanitarian Aid Deliveries

Religious Leaders Call on Haitian Authorities to Help with Humanitarian Aid Deliveries
Santo Domingo, 9/15/2010

Dominican religious leaders and pastors denounced the Haitian border authorities for maintaining a strict tightening of the border with the Dominican Republic which is impeding the entry of tons of humanitarian aid including food and medicines, much of which is going bad as it sits along the Dominican border rather than benefitting the thousands of homeless and needy Haitians, victims of the January 12 earthquake.

These and other Dominican pastors and evangelical church leaders agreed with the statement made at the Dominican-Haitian Dialogue of the Evangelical Churches Forum that took place this weekend as part of the Latin American Confederation of Communicators and Christian Mass Media (Coicom)…

These comments were made by Lorenzo Mota King, Executive Director of the Dominican Haitian-Dialogue of the Evangelical Churches and Pastor Domingo Nova of the Federation of Evangelical Church Pastors of the South East.

These and other Dominican pastors and evangelical church leaders agreed with the statement made at the Dominican-Haitian Dialogue of the Evangelical Churches Forum that took place this weekend as part of the Latin American Confederation of Communicators and Christian Mass Media (Coicom), held at a hotel complex in Bávaro, according to a press release from the Dominican-Haitian Dialogue of the Evangelical Churches.

Mota King said that “There has been a hardening of the Haitian and customs authorities. Haitian leaders should appeal the Haitian government on the part of religious leaders and pastors with the goal of correcting the situation that is currently impeding a great deal of food and medical aid to reach those in need in Haiti.”

“Haiti must assume its role in committing to development and we will support that effort. Haitian leaders should also commit to carry out the political work necessary to facilitate this process so that its authorities allow for this humanitarian aid to pass though,” he stressed.

Mota King explained that the Dominican-Haitian Dialogue of the Evangelical Churches inspired some 80 Haitian church leaders and pastors of Coicom 2010 to strengthen their links with the 27 countries present at the event.

Bishop Elvis Medina, of the Church of God, said that the evangelical churches are willing to help but that Haiti itself must be more organized because, if not, the humanitarian aid will continue to be dispersed and all their efforts will have been in vain.

“We are asking the Haitian authorities to get organized internally as this internal organization guarantees us and gives us the confidence that the help we provide will flow into the country as it should,” he said.

Bishop Medina also proposed the formation of a Haitian delegation at the meeting suggesting they should select interlocutors with good reputations because “we have been dealing with interlocutors who don’t represent anyone and the aid has not been delivered, it is not arriving and there is no one channeling it to where it is needed.”

In addition, he said it was necessary for any aid to Haiti, from the DR or anywhere else in the world, should be focused on training and reconstruction of the country.

Pastor Domingo Nova of the Federation of Evangelical Church Pastors of the South East suggested as a priority that the Haitian authorities guarantee the safety of the aid deliveries as well as the donors who are interested in working in the reconstruction of the country. He pointed to an incident in which he was the victim of kidnapping along with a delegation of 40 Dominican church leaders traveling in six trucks carrying aid. The Haitian police and other government organizations stopped the vehicles and held the pastors for a time.

“The proposal I make is that we take advantage of this scenario so that our Haitian brothers, pastors and leaders can struggle together for the reconstruction of Haiti based on the need for dialogue and arrangement with the Haitian authorities which are the problem we are encountering when entering Haiti. I have lived through many bitter experiences in this struggle to get aid to Haiti but we are still interested in continuing to help,” he said.

He added that about two months ago, he received the most recent donation to take to Haiti but “I have not been able to deliver it to the homeless people because the Haitian authorities are hindering us by charging us taxes.”


Lorenzo Mota King, Executive Director Dominican-Haitian Dialogue of the Evangelical Churches


Part of the Haitian and Dominican leaders participating in the meeting.