THE PLAN FORWARD
After some discussion between Dr. Jaffer and Br. Shu’ayb, Br. Shu’ayb suggested that the funds collected through The World Federation would be best utilized in helping the Shia Muslims in Haiti to rebuild their homes as well as the Al Mahdi Islamic Centre. The earthquake destroyed all of these buildings to rubble.

Based on Br. Shu’ayb’s recommendation of the needs of the Shia community there, and backed by Dr. Jaffer’s suggestion to concentrate long term efforts on rebuilding the lives of the Shia Muslims in Haiti as soon as the situation allows, The World Federation is now charting a plan forward to concentrate its efforts on utilizing the donations collected for the HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND 2010 to rebuild the homes and Centre that once housed our brothers and sisters and the hundreds of orphans of Haiti. Insha’Allah, we will continue to provide more information as the plan develops.

HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND
The World Federation in partnership with The Africa Federation, the Council of European Jamaats and NASIMCO is launching the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. Haiti is living a great humanitarian crisis and The World Federation is appealing to all Shia Muslim communities around the world to donate generously.

The World Federation is working on proposals which focus its relief efforts in Haiti on the medium to long term aid.  Immediate assistance for basic provisions such as food, water, clothing and shelter is already being provided by many Governmental and charitable organizations.  Once these proposals are finalized, WF will share them with the rest of the community through our newswire and website.

The World Federation is deeply distraught and concerned about the devastation and loss of lives as a result of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake. In this month of Muharram in which Imam Husayn (AS), sacrificed everything he had to champion the rights of humanity, let us unite to bring respite to the people of Haiti.

ABOUT HAITI
•    Located between Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean 
•    Population is nearly 10,000,000 people
•    About 5,000 Muslims live in Haiti
•    Official language is French
•    Capital is Port-au-Prince
•    Haiti is one of poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere
•    80% of the population lives below the poverty line
•    Most Haitians live on less than $2 a day
•    More than two-thirds of the labour force do not have formal employment
•    Haiti is one of the most densely populated and least developed countries in the Western Hemisphere

Haiti Relief Update January 21, 2010
There are about twenty Shia families living in Haiti who have been affected by the earthquake and are now homeless.  In total, there are about 100 to 150 Shia Muslims in Port au Prince, the capital of Haiti and Leogane. The Shia Al-Mahdi Centre, which has a school of 200 resident and non-resident children, a small masjid and a small library and is located on the southern side of Port au Prince, has been destroyed. Seven children have died.

Brother Shu’ayb is the founder of this center and has been working to provide shelter, food, clothing and education to the children in Haiti since 2000. Brother Shu’ayb has identified medium and long-term needs of the community in Haiti and is involved in the coordination of efforts with the World Federation, NASIMCO and the South Florida Muslim Relief Committee. The Western World has unleashed a massive multibillion dollar immediate relief effort. Our funds and help will be most needed when the World forgets them.

On Tuesday 12 January 2010 at 4:53pm, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Haiti just when people were preparing to leave work to go home to their families. Sadly, thousands of these individuals will never see their loved ones again as family members and friends are missing in the rubble and 50,000 to 100,000 people are already feared dead.

The quake’s epicentre hit just 10 miles west of Porte-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital where the population is about 2 million. 33 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 4.2 to 5.9 continued to rock the island after the initial shake.