Muslim Relief Efforts in Haiti

A convoy from Islamic Relief left for Haiti two days ago.  This is the first post from one member of this convoy, on their second day in the region.

Day Two – January 17, 2010

Santa Domingo, Dominion Republic

We have hooked up with a British aid group called Muslim Hands and a Muslim group from Trinidad & Tobago. An operations base has been set up at a huge Islamic Center in Santa Domingo. Our assignment was to find any Muslim survivors in Port-au-Prince. Through our masjid contacts in Santa Domingo, we have discovered a large community of Muslims currently being sheltered at a masjid in Port-au-Prince; one consignment of aid has already been delivered to them.

As I write, we are loading our final truck and heading towards the border. The brothers are a little tense; two men were killed in the last convoy by unknown gunmen looking to loot the cargo mainly because of the large amounts of cash we are carrying in aid. We have arranged for heavy security to meet us at the border and take us into Port-au-Prince this evening- our destination is the masjid in Port-au-Prince. After that we will be hooking up with the rest of the Islamic Relief convoy at the United Nations head quarters outside the airport. It may be a few days before I can post again, please keep us in your dua; not just the Muslims of Haiti, but all the people of Haiti.

Shafi Khan

Shafi Khan regularly lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and one year old son.  He works for the Muslim American Society and is currently on a mission to aid the people of Haiti through the work of Islamic Relief.