DALLAS — Emergency crews remained busy, on Monday, searching for survivors of the powerful earthquake that rocked Haiti. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake left about 1,300 people dead. Thousands more people were injured.
“We are dumbfounded and devastated,” said Josephine Duviella-St. Surin, President of Dallas Haitians United (DHU). The organization is a resource center for the small Haitian-American community living across North Texas.
“We’re speechless. And we’re just saying, we just want for our Haiti to be OK. And for our people to be OK,” Duviella-St. Surin explained.
Families of some of the Dallas Haitians United members live in southern Haiti. They reside in some of the communities hardest hit by the earthquake.
Duviella-St. Surin said her mother’s house is among the thousands of homes damaged. She’s been in contact with loved ones, including an uncle and cousins. Communication is spotty.
“They’re sleeping in the street because they’re afraid of aftershocks," she said. "They’re afraid to get back inside the house.”
This earthquake comes 11-years after another powerful earthquake hit the country. It left 200,000 people dead.
Those with ties to the country said Haiti has been through so much.
“Haiti’s been hit with disaster, assassinations, and pretty much sickness and everything in between, one after another,” Duviella-St. Surin explained.
Resources are limited. Anxiety and fear are high. The worry remains, as survivors and rescue crews now brace for the possibility of more devastation. Tropical weather and flooding are threatening the country.
“We’re heartbroken. We’re heartbroken. We just want for our people to just have a break from all this,” said Duviella-St. Surin.
Dallas Haitians United is discussing the best way to help during this disaster. DHU will keep the community updated through its social media channels and website www.dhu1804.com.