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Population of Hinche swells to 300,000

The following reports on the situation in the Diocese of Hinche in Haiti were forwarded to The Catholic Virginian by Danny Yates, a freshman at the College of William and Mary who has almost daily communications with people in Haiti.

After speaking with Pere Bourdeau twice this morning and exchanging e-mails with Pere Etienne and Delile Telfort, it appears that Hinche is in a very difficult situation.

Saint Therese Hospital is still operating short-staffed and with limited resources. The once 140-bed facility has brought in dozens of mattresses and patients are resting wherever they can find floor space.

Father Bourdeau is planning on using some of the money wire funds to bring food to some of the patients who have no family or friends in Hinche.

Although some aid is slowly arriving in Port-au-Prince from a host of international nonprofits, none of those supplies are reaching the capital town in Haiti’s Plateau Central.

Last night on the Hinche Radio station (accessible online at radiolevekanpe.com), I listened as the station owner Masner Beauplan estimated Hinche’s population to have swollen from 50,000-plus before the quake, to now nearly 300,000 due to the arrival of injured, hungry, and desperate refugees.

One bit of good news — it sounds like schools in Hinche were to reopen February 1. The only problem is that Hinche now has thousands of displaced schoolchildren. Even before January 12, there weren’t enough schools to house all the children.

Now with a student population approximately five times larger, principals and leaders are inundated with new pupils, but there is no space, food, or teachers to facilitate this growing need.

Now that FONKOZE bank is up and running, we are able to wire funds to Pere Bourdeau. Any and all contributions are greatly appreciated.

Please send checks to:
St. Bridget Church Haiti Committee
Memo Line: Hinche Relief
6006 Three Chopt Road
Richmond, VA 23226-2797

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