Dominican Republic Receives Hurricane Assistance from ADRA

Silver Spring, Maryland—In response to Hurricane Jeanne, which struck the Dominican Republic last month, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is providing medical aid, clothing, food, housing reconstruction materials, and beds to those affected.

ADRA will provide food baskets to 200 of the most affected families. The baskets, prepared by volunteers at the local Seventh-day Adventist Church, are a one-week food supply for a family of five members. Each basket contains rice, beans, cooking oil, potatoes, pasta, salt, milk, and oatmeal.

ADRA Dominican Republic is also supplying 5,000 articles of clothing which will be distributed to 1,000 persons and will also distribute 100 beds and construction materials, such as roofing sheets, wood, and nails, to 50 families. Families and community members are providing the manual labor for the housing reconstruction.

Through its mobile medical unit, ADRA is also providing free medical assistance. The unit, stocked with medicines and staffed by two physicians, is anticipated to assist 500 people.

ADRA International, ADRA Inter-America, and ADRA Dominican Republic funded this two-month project, which began September 30. ADRA’s assistance is in coordination with local authorities. Beneficiaries have been identified in coordination with the Civil Protection Department.

According to Silvestre Gonzalez Tabar, country director for ADRA Dominican Republic, Hurricane Jeanne, a category 1 hurricane, hit the Dominican Republic on September 17 and 18, bringing winds of 80 mph per hour through the north coast of the country. The strong rain and winds caused flooding, seriously damaged or destroyed homes, plantations, and crops, and left bridges and road structures unusable. Many areas became isolated due to flooding and were left without water, electricity, phone lines or fuel. The hurricane injured more than 250 people, caused more than 20 deaths, and left about 30,000 people in need of assistance.

For additional information or to make a monetary donation to assist those affected by the hurricanes, please call 1.800.424.ADRA or donate online at www.adra.org

ADRA is present in more than 120 countries providing individual and community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age or ethnicity.