Hurricane Matthew flooding in Haiti (Tariq Ramadan (official) Facebook)
Haitian members of the New York Police Department gathered to provide relief to the hurricane-struck island.
The New York Daily News reported 10 brothers of the Haitian American Law Enforcement Fraternal Organization touched down in the Caribbean country last weekend. Upon their arrival, the officers established a communications post and shipping centers. The latter allowed them to provide fresh water and hygienic tools to prevent infections.
Those items are necessary amid the growing cholera threat on the island. After Hurricane Matthew killed a suspected 1,000 residents and left millions of other people affected, residents have become infected with the deadly disease.
However, it’s not just cholera that has ravaged Haiti. Half of the country’s livestock perished in Matthew and the hurricane swept out all fishing stock and farming produce.
“Thousands of Haitian families are in desperate need for food, clean water and shelter,” Kidert Jean Mary, president of HALEFO wrote in a letter to Police Commissioner James O’Neill. “As an integral member of the Haitian community, it is our obligation to stand together and help our fellow Haitian brothers and sisters on the ground in times like this.”
Fortunately, the relatives of all of the eight officers and two sergeants who helped with recovery efforts survived the natural disaster. But that didn’t mean they came out completely unscathed. Officer Delens Cadichon shared many members of his organization had family members “who lost everything.”
The NYPD’s selfless effort comes after Haitian NFL players flew to the island with medical supplies. Washington Redskins players Pierre Garcon and Rickey Jean Francois donated items like IVs and saline from their locker room.
“What’s really real to us – our people of Haiti – is to see your face here and seeing you put the time in. Put the work in, put the sweat in to rebuild our country,” Jean Francois told The Washington Post.
Additionally, Elvis Dumervil of the Baltimore Ravens is currently working to rebuild the homes damaged by Matthew.
“Haiti just doesn’t have the structure to withstand those types of things,” he told The Undefeated. “It’s fortunate that we were able to help people in this story.”
