Operation Blessing Prepares For Hurricane Sandy

UPort au Prince, Haiti (October 24, 2012) – With Hurricane Sandy expected to bring flooding rains to Haiti, the American humanitarian organization Operation Blessing International (OBI) has ramped up efforts to avert another cholera outbreak.

Haiti is currently home to the world's largest cholera epidemic, which has claimed over 7,000 lives in 24 months.

CBN’s Operation Blessing International, which has been working in Haiti since before the 2010 earthquake, has increased its production of sodium hypochlorite (food-grade bleach), utilizing their ClorTec CT-75 generation system. This device has the capability to produce 1200 gallons of liquid sodium hypochlorite daily, enough chlorine to disinfect 3.6 million gallons of drinking water each day. OBI is distributing this chlorine to hospitals, cholera clinics, orphanages, and tent city locations for the disinfection of drinking water, the treatment of gray water, surface disinfection and for general sanitation purposes.

“The heavy rains that are expected to begin in the next 24 to 36 hours will cause flooding and will spread cholera again,” said Bill Horan, president of Operation Blessing International. “Since Haiti has no effective water disposal system, it is imperative that we deliver as much chlorine as possible to avert this silent killer.”

Since its arrival in Haiti in 2009, a main focus of OBI has been water purification. The charity installed potable water systems in the country’s hospital system and has drilled dozens of wells. After the earthquake, OBI brought in 35 WMI large-scale purification units, each unit having the capacity of providing 10,000 gallons of safe drinking water per day. Many units are still deployed in tent camps and strategic locations in Port Au Prince. At the height of the relief efforts, Operation Blessing was providing safe drinking water to over 100,000 people every day.

OBI was also a first responder to the cholera outbreak in October 2010 with water purification equipment, liquid chlorine and Lifesaver Jerrycans to the Artibonite region. OBI still operates five purification units in the region providing up to 50,000 gallons of safe water per day. The relief organization also worked with St. Damien’s/St. Luc’s children’s hospital in Tabarre to construct a cholera treatment center. The center has so far treated over 20,000 cholera victims.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help by making an online donation toward CBN’s Operation Blessing International’s disaster relief efforts. With your support, we can continue to provide emergency relief and recovery. Please make an on-line donation today.