MANICHE, HAITI — Samaritan’s Purse set up a community water treatment unit to provide clean drinking water for people in Maniche, Haiti, after the town’s water supply was severed following a massive earthquake that also caused many area wells to collapse.. Its close proximity to the epicenter left it almost completely leveled—90 percent of homes in the area are uninhabitable. Families just are sleeping outside with little to no shelter and limited access to water.

To meet this need, Samaritan’s Purse deployed a water system, capable of purifying enough clean water to provide for 10,000 people each day. Developed by Samaritan’s Purse, the filtration unit is specially designed to fit on one pallet within the DC-8 cargo plane. Its compact size and versatility make it a premiere system for international relief as it can purify both fresh water and salt water.

As clean drinking water flowed from the tap stand, the mayor of Maniche, Jean Bernard, said,

“No one could find water to drink. I thank you guys because what you did today is a big thing for the community. Now we have water to drink.”

Samaritan’s Purse is also distributing emergency shelter material and solar lights in hard-hit areas. Tens of thousands of people were impacted by the earthquake. Even if their home is still standing, they are terrified to be inside the structure as aftershocks continue to shake the region. The emergency needs are overwhelming, but Samaritan’s Purse is committed to helping bring physical relief while sharing God’s love.

Jean David Brinard – Mayor of Maniche:

After the earthquake, the well collapsed and dried up. There was no water…no nothing. After two days, it came back as mud. When it broke, the people started drinking from the river.

Brent Keir – Samaritan’s Purse:

Here in Maniche, it’s been really devastating to even drive through the town to see all the buildings that have been demolished or destroyed by the earthquake. The water supply to the town was severed during the quake. A lot of the wells in this town were working before, but now since the earthquake, they’re not producing enough water. And so it’s really a critical need to have water brought to this town.

Brent Keir:

Samaritan’s Purse has just deployed their first, community-sized water treatment unit that’s mobile to be able to bring it up through the mountain here. We designed it back at headquarters and this is the first time we’ve been able to use it in a disaster like this. It’s very important that we come as quick as possible because, during the first few days at the onset of disaster, that’s when the need is the most. And so to be over here quickly, to be able to use this unit that can fit in our DC-8 aircraft, you know, to get it here on the ground, to pull up and quickly make drinking water is a real blessing for this community.

It’s really exciting to be able to help design this product and bring it out here for the first time because it’s really fulfilling. This is why I work at Samaritan’s Purse– to do projects like this and to see, for the first time, this community having a good water source that they can pull from. Really just reinforces it– why we do it– to have- to bring safe water, to help in Jesus’ Name, especially in the time when this community is really hurting.

Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet the needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Samaritan’s Purse International Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) program is committed to meeting the critical needs of victims of war, poverty, famine, disease, and natural disaster. We stand ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. The DART specializes in providing water, food, shelter, and medical care while sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ.

CONTACT: Kaitlyn Lahm, news@samaritan.org

Read more news on Non Profit/Faith Based Organizations, Disaster Relief, and Clean Water Crisis.