Bishop Michael Smith, Bishop of Meath, has sent a donation of €25,000
to aid victims of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.
The donation included a
number of contributions from parishes in the Diocese of Meath eager to
express solidarity with the people of Haiti.
Hurricane Matthew made landfall on Haiti early on Tuesday 4 October
2016.
It was the strongest storm to hit the region in more than 50
years.
As many as 900 people have been killed and tens of thousands of
homes destroyed in Haiti as a result of the hurricane.
The overall
devastation caused by Hurricane Matthew is becoming more clear as aid
workers are starting to reach more remote areas.
The contribution from the Diocese of Meath was given to Archbishop
Eugene Nugent, the Irish-born Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti.
Archbishop
Nugent said “I will be happy to forward this generous gift from Meath
Diocese to the four Bishops whose Dioceses have been worst affected by
Hurricane Matthew.”
Archbishop Nugent is working closely with Catholic Relief Services
who are responding in some of the most affected areas in southern Haiti.
Outside of immediate food, the greatest needs are for shelter, water
and hygiene supplies.
Click here for a five-minute video featuring Archbishop Nugent, which reports on the efforts of Catholic Relief Services to respond to the devastation.