PUERTO RICO – Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico Sunday afternoon, wreaking havoc on many communities. Catastrophic flooding has ruined homes and left over 1 million people without power. The situation is dire as thousands have no access to power, clean water, or supplies.
Thanks to the support of Operation Blessing partners, the Disaster Relief Team rushed to Puerto Rico with emergency relief equipment and solar lamps to bring light to families who no longer have electricity. The road to recovery will be long following the impact of this devastating storm. Even something as simple as a solar light can bring hope, as part of the many essential relief supplies for Hurricane Fiona.
Relief Supplies For Hurricane Fiona
In the days ahead, Operation Blessing will continue on the ground in Puerto Rico helping families that are struggling in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. Currently, the team is actively working to distribute more supplies in areas of greatest need while preparing to assist with food and water. This includes distributing supplies in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Please Pray For Puerto Rico
Thank you for your endless prayers, partnership, and support of Puerto Rico after the destruction of Hurricane Fiona. Please continue to pray for the many residents of the island who now find themselves struggling to obtain even the most basic necessities. Your continued support helps bring hope to people who have lost so much.
PUERTO RICO – As monster Hurricane Fiona continues its destructive path towards Bermuda with 130 mph winds, Puerto Rico is reeling in the aftermath. With the worst behind them, these battered citizens now face the long road to recovery.
They’ll have to overcome ruined roads, flooded homes and public buildings, and ongoing power outages first, and they need your help. One local pastor’s words say it all, “We have experienced a national catastrophe.” He went on, “At the moment, I don’t have any electricity. I don’t have any water.” Friends like you can be their support in this time of need, and Operation Blessing can partner with you to show God’s love.
Already, thanks to friends like you, the Operation Blessing team is on the ground in Puerto Rico offering hurricane relief to people in devastated areas. The most important needs right now for Puerto Rico hurricane relief are the most basic—food, water, and shelter. But power is key for food and water access, and approximately one million people still lack electricity. So with your support, our team is addressing those needs first while looking for additional ways to help.
Our first two days of relief were fruitful with key distributions. In one community near Ponce that had lost power, the residents were struggling to drink or cook, and we provided them with clean water solutions and solar lamps to light up the night. For those with damaged roofs, we are also helping keep out the elements by providing heavy-duty tarps.
Critical Next Steps for Puerto Rico Hurricane Relief
Operation Blessing is continuing to assess damaged areas to determine where to best provide assistance, and local churches are helping us identify the areas of greatest need in their communities. Pastor Giovanni and Iglesia De La Familia in Ponce connected us with a nearby community called El Sol that is in dire need of assistance. With the help of friends like you, this church is eager to serve its neighbors and show them God’s love. The pastor shared, “We feel blessed that we have Operation Blessing coming in here, because we know their heart. We know that they are motivated to come and help us.”
Some communities we are looking to help have been severely damaged by a major hurricane for the second time in just five years, so it’s critical that they see us return with tangible aid to help facilitate hurricane relief. Our team also visited with residents in a housing project development called Villas del sol in Toa Baja organized by formerly homeless people since Hurricane Maria. Their homes were half underwater from the storm, and with your help, we hope to reach out to them as well.
Pray for Puerto Rico
Puerto Ricans are struggling, and they need help and prayer. Please continue to ask God to strengthen all those facing the difficult path to recovery and to provide for their felt needs. Thank you for being part of our Operation Blessing family. Your prayers and gifts change lives!
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – (September 20, 2022) – The humanitarian organization Operation Blessing has deployed its U.S. Disaster Relief Team to Puerto Rico to assist residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona.
Operation Blessing Deploys Disaster Relief Team For Hurricane Fiona
The Operation Blessing team departed this morning from Norfolk carrying dozens of portable solar lamps and other emergency relief equipment. When they arrive later today, the team will join with partner organizations in San Juan and Ponce, Puerto Rico to distribute the emergency supplies and determine the next steps.
After Hurricane Fiona departed, Operation Blessing’s partner organizations assessed the greatest needs facing residents. Currently, the major concerns remain the extensive power outage, roads with restricted travel in some areas due to mudslides or flooding, and a shortage of safe water.
Operation Blessing Deploys Disaster Relief Team For Hurricane Maria
Operation Blessing was a first responder when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in 2017 and spent the following year providing relief efforts there, including extensive efforts to provide safe drinking water to families across Puerto Rico. This was done through multiple solutions including the distribution of Kohler Clarity filters, the deployment of 18 separate reverse osmosis systems that could treat 18,000 to 40,000 gallons of safe water daily, and the distribution of handheld chlorine generators and over 12,000 gallons of liquid chlorine.
In addition to safe water efforts, Operation Blessing also worked to improve local nonprofit organizations’ abilities to provide goods and services, treated stagnant swimming pools with mosquito-eating fish to avert a disease outbreak, distributed clothing to school children, and distributed over 35,000 pounds of food to more than 10,000 people. Recently, Operation Blessing donated a box truck to a partner organization located on Vieques to aid its ongoing hunger relief initiatives.
“The availability of safe water and electricity are critical in the aftermath of any disaster,” said Operation Blessing’s International Disaster Relief coordinator Benjamin Britton, who is leading the team in Puerto Rico. “Without those, the situation could very quickly turn into a public health calamity. Operation Blessing has worked to serve the people of Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, and we are honored to return today and help these wonderful people in any way we can.”
Based in Virginia Beach, VA, Operation Blessing (OB) provides humanitarian services such as strategic disaster relief, medical care, hunger relief, and clean water. Founded in 1978, Operation Blessing has touched the lives of millions of people in more than 90 countries and territories, including the US. For more information about Operation Blessing, please visit www.ob.org.
UPDATE (09/22/22) – The Disaster Relief Team is actively working in hard-hit communities around Ponce, distributing key items like solar lamps, water purification tablets, and roofing tarps while we look to offer additional help where it’s needed.
UPDATE (09/20/22) – Operation Blessing has deployed its U.S. Disaster Relief Team to Puerto Rico to assist residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Fiona. The relief team departed this morning from Norfolk, VA carrying dozens of portable solar lamps and other emergency relief equipment. Upon arrival, the team joined with partner organizations in San Juan and Ponce, Puerto Rico to distribute the emergency supplies and determine next steps.
PUERTO RICO (09/19/22) – Hurricane Fiona struck Puerto Rico’s southwest coast on Sunday afternoon, September 18, 2022 as a Category 1 storm. Torrential rain and high-speed winds pummeled the coastal island, plunging 1.5 million Puerto Ricans into a blackout. Fiona even unleashed landslides that ripped up asphalt and sent rivers of water to envelop cars and first floors.
Associated Press reports that hundreds of people were evacuated or rescued across the island as floodwaters rose swiftly. Dangerous flash floods continue to devastate the area, and the crisis situation is still unfolding. Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi states, “The damages that we are seeing are catastrophic.”
Hurricane Fiona hit just two days before the five-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria that struck on Sep. 20, 2017. Many people were traumatized by that disaster, and having another catastrophic event so soon is more than they can bear. They will need our help and our prayers.
As the hurricane continues on, we are actively assessing the situation to serve disaster victims in need! Operation Blessing President Gordon Robertson assures us, “Operation Blessing was there after Hurricane Maria, and we are prepping our disaster relief right now to evaluate the storm damage and what we can do about it.”
Teams Assess Hurricane Fiona Damage and Begin Distributing Relief Supplies
Right now, we are assessing the damage in hard-hit Puerto Rico to determine next steps as our teams begin distributing disaster relief supplies like solar lights. Those in greatest need will soon receive water filters, disaster kits, and more as we target specific hard-hit locations. We’re also exploring the best ways to provide essentials like clean water and food.
Please pray for the families who are facing these terrible circumstances. Together, we can make a difference in their lives and give them hope for tomorrow. Thank you for being part of our Operation Blessing family.
HAITI – A positive test result on a cervical cancer screening could drive anyone into bouts of anxiety. But because YOU helped, Sinfanie’s brush with cervical cancer actually turned out to have a positive ending. Forty-year-old Sinfanie lives in one of the poorest areas in Haiti. She had never been screened for cervical cancer in Haiti. This type of service is just not available where she lives.
Women have to go to the city—a trip that’s too far and too costly—to have this important diagnostic test done at private facilities, which often includes expensive fees. For years, Sinfanie has been looking for more affordable options but found none.
Detecting Cervical Cancer In Haiti
So when she learned that Operation Blessing was in town to provide this test for free, she got really excited. She woke up early that morning and was one of the first in line at the center. We had trained a specialized team of three nurses and a gynecologist, and they came prepared for any test result.
Hand in hand with kind donors like you, Operation Blessing brought all the supplies needed for cancer screening and treatment, as well as to conduct cervical cancer prevention training and treat lesions before they could turn into cancer. The team welcomed Sinfanie and the other women with open arms. She was happy to have the screening done, and then she waited for the result.
Her test turned out positive for a precancerous condition. In fact, of the 94 tests done that day, 16 women were positive for a cancerous or a precancerous condition. But Operation Blessing knew how to properly deliver this news to Sinfanie and how to provide proper care to help stave off cervical cancer in Haiti. A trained gynecologist gently explained to Sinfanie that they had found evidence of an infection on her cervix. If left untreated, cancer could develop—and spread. Without this lifesaving test, Sinfanie wouldn’t have known that a silent killer might be growing inside of her.
Thanks to support from friends like you, Sinfanie and the others underwent treatment for their conditions. This included thermocoagulation, painkillers and antibiotics. Sinfanie also has an appointment for reevaluation in her area.
She is so relieved. “Without this opportunity, the disease could develop inside my body and this infection could even develop into full-fledged cancer,” she said. “You saved my life!” Together with you, we are conquering this hidden killer for women living in the poorest of nations. Thank you for caring enough to give.
Early detection is the best prevention!
In Haiti … every year, approximately 588 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer while about 75% of these die from their cancer.
UKRAINE – In wartime, life can turn upside down overnight. For struggling Ukrainian refugees like Svitlana and her family, it did. And for many families like hers, the rebuilding will take years. She recalls, “When the bombs hit our city, we spent the night in the basement. In the morning, our apartment was destroyed! It was completely gone.”
It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to walk up the basement stairs after a sleepless night only to discover your home is missing—and memories are all that remain. Before Russia invaded, Ukrainian citizens lived in peace. They were able to go to work without fearing for their lives or wondering if their children had a future. Svitlana gave people manicures; she helped women feel beautiful, providing for her children in the process—until that fateful day.
Struggling Ukrainian Refugees Get Support From Operation Blessing
Her family had no choice but to flee the area and find safe haven. At last, they did, at a shelter in Lviv where you helped to meet them with love, support and supplies for their daily needs. One of the primary struggles for families on the move is maintaining a sense of normalcy. Without routines, the smallest things can make people—especially children—feel insecure. That’s why Operation Blessing brought washers and dryers to the shelter to make simple, necessary tasks like washing clothes less of a burden.
Another way you showed your compassion was by bringing joy to the most vulnerable among Ukrainian refugees: the little ones. One of the most normal—and wonderful— things in the world is having a birthday party, but children like Svitlana’s 8-year-old daughter skipped their birthdays when they fled for their lives. So Operation Blessing helped them celebrate right where they were—with food, festivities, and special gifts for each child.
You also made it possible to provide Svitlana with the tools she needed to earn a living while trying to start again. Now, with a complete manicure set in hand, she’s already taking steps to build a new future one client at a time. Her words say it all: “I’m very grateful to Operation Blessing for getting me all the things I need to continue doing what I love. I’m very grateful to you.”
AFRICA – Throughout the Horn of Africa, people are starving. Due to a record-breaking drought, much of the population is facing crisis hunger levels. George Thomas of The 700 Club reports that in Somalia alone around 8 million people are suffering from life-threatening hunger, and that 1 in 3 children face chronic malnutrition due to famine in the Horn of Africa.
The dire conditions in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya are caused by a combination of the devastating drought, lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which devastated the African economy, and supply issues due to the war between Russia and Ukraine. The drought killed crops across the region, and livestock as well.
Alex Marianelli of the World Food Program said, “We’ve had four failed rains. The drought that we’re currently seeing in the Horn of Africa is the worst drought in over 40 years.” And on average, one person dies every 48 seconds from hunger in the area.
“Because of the drought, many water sources have dried up. Many wells have also dried up,” says Wafer Saeed Abdelatef, a UNICEF Representative.
With crops failing. The United Nations says some 22 million people are at risk of starvation, many of them farmers who only grow enough food to feed their own families.
“People will be forced to flee to look for food.” says Rein Paulsen, of the Food and Agricultural Organization. “People will have to try and find a way to survive. And obviously this entails very perilous journeys for people who are already marginalized.”
The Devastating Impact Of Famine in the Horn of Africa
In Somalia alone, around 8 million people, or half the population, are experiencing crisis hunger levels. One in three children face chronic malnutrition.
Ann Kasombo oversees CBN’s offices in Kenya. In partnership with Operation Blessing, they have been distributing food and other aid supplies to some of the hardest hit regions of her country.
“It’s been quite devastating in some communities…food is hard to come by because they are not able to grow their food.”
Operation Blessing, delivered critical food supplies to the northern part of Kenya, targeting some of the toughest areas in those villages as we helped so many families fight hunger and food insecurity.
Thank you to our friends who sent special gift to help Kenyans in need during this difficult time. Please consider helping even more people during times of natural disaster and crisis.
PERU- Ruth is a single mother in Peru who works hard to provide for her family. One day, a terrible storm struck her makeshift home and tore off the roof. Her daughters were so afraid. They worried the rest of the house would collapse on them. After that, their living situation became a health hazard, and her daughters got sick from being exposed to the elements. They desperately needed a new home in Peru.
Even worse, the pandemic caused Ruth’s work to suffer. As she made fewer sales, there was hardly any money for food and definitely no money left for repairs to the home.
When Operation Blessing first came to Ruth’s community, they developed a chicken program to train families to begin poultry businesses. Ruth was chosen for the program, and got right to work. Now she has a steady income to provide for her family, and she even has a chance to save.
But, because of the generosity of friends like you, Operation Blessing didn’t stop there. With your help, we built Ruth and her family a new home in Peru, complete with kitchen, bathroom, and beds!
When you partner with Operation Blessing, you have a direct hand in offering a new hope and a future for families like Ruth’s. There are still so many more who need your love and support. We invite you to get involved today!
ASIA – Today, someone is hurting. It might be a child in Peru struggling with a deformity or a working mother in India whose vision is slowly fading. They might be hesitant to face the day, afraid of the challenges it might bring. But their uncertainty can change in a moment. And for hundreds of people this year, it has!
Through Operation Blessing’s Life-Changing Surgeries Program in Asia, partners like you have given hurting people the hope of a brighter tomorrow. In 20 countries around the world, we are empowering generous people like you to offer our life-changing surgeries to those in need.
From June 2021 to June 2022, you made it possible for us to complete 2,426 surgeries. Now the lame can walk! The vision-impaired can see! Those who were mocked can now live without fear of ridicule. Together, we have been the hands and feet of Jesus to the least of these. Each one is precious, and these are their stories.
Saving Baby Ruvina’s Life | INDIA
“If this is not dealt with, it will cost her her life.” No parent ever wants to hear those words about their child. But it was a reality Ruvina’s family had to face as the hospital surgeon shared his concerns for their baby if they chose not to pursue corrective surgery. Ruvina was only 3 months old, but every day increased her chances of dying because of the growing bulge on her back caused by a spinal defect.
Ruvina’s father, Kamal, was burdened with finding a way to help his daughter while providing for their family as a day. laborer. He and his wife feared they would have to deal with this problem alone—until faithful partners like you sent their love across the world through Operation Blessing!
When our team discovered Ruvina’s dangerous situation, we knew it couldn’t wait. We rushed her to surgery, and—by God’s grace—it was a tremendous success! Now Ruvina and her parents longer in danger. Her father’s words say it all: “I am very thankful to you for saving my daughter’s life. The surgery has changed her life completely!”
Giving Rizka the Freedom to Play | INDONESIA
Rizka loves to play. But play wasn’t easy. Her club foot often caused her to stumble and fall, and many times she missed out on the fun entirely. It hurt her parents to see her cry, but what could they do? Their little shop barely brings enough income to meet their basic needs in the hut they call home. And Rizka wasn’t their only child with medical struggles; her sister has mental health issues. With such huge challenges facing them as a family, Rizka’s parents needed help.
Thankfully, God answered their prayers through faithful friends like you. With your help, Operation Blessing’s Life-Changing Surgeries Program in Asia helped Rizka get the surgery she needed and provided special shoes to make sure her foot continues to heal properly in the days ahead. She has already experienced significant improvement and can play with a full heart. She said, “Praise the Lord—now I can run just like my friends!”
Helping Heng to Smile | CAMBODIA
He felt ashamed. Every time Heng went outside, his peers’ stares and whispers pierced his heart. And sometimes they weren’t whispers. To Heng, it seemed his cleft lip was ruining his life. Heng’s family tried to encourage him, but he felt helpless—until his pastor reached out to Operation Blessing. Because the family couldn’t afford corrective surgery, they needed friends like you to be their miracle, and you came through.
The surgeon was frank about the prognosis: at 11 years of age, Heng had a much greater chance of scarring. But his surgery went surprisingly well and his lips were completely transformed. Family members were overjoyed, and Heng was over the moon. Full of confidence, he has overcome his fears and was able to face the world with a smile. Because of Operation Blessing supporters, Heng is no longer ashamed.
POLAND – Compassion is alive in Poland! Inspired by the generous heart of her late husband, Maria spends her own money sheltering Ukrainian victims fleeing the violence in their home country. When Russia invaded Ukraine, millions of men, women, and children watched in horror as the Ukraine crisis changed the course of their lives. One minute the citizens of Ukraine were living in peace. The next they found themselves in real danger as the country transformed into a war zone.
Ukrainian Citizens Flee to Poland
As the situation throughout Ukraine deteriorated, many women and children were forced to flee into nearby Poland. Their journeys were often dangerous as they had to navigate a war zone to leave their beloved country. Many now find themselves in a new, strange land. Their former lives are on hold. Their survival depends on the kindness of others to provide food, water, supplies, and, of course, shelter.
Sheltering Ukrainian Victims
Caring people like Maria were there to help Ukrainian refugees who needed a home. She opened her home and sheltered over 50 refugees on her own. These refugees could rest easy in a place of safety and respite. Maria’s kindness, however, put significant strain on her financially. She found herself providing food, utilities, and supplies for multiple families.
Eventually, her resources started to run out. And that’s when you stepped in! Because of the gifts of our generous partners, Operation Blessing brought supplies to Maria including food, cleaning products, and hygiene supplies.
When you partner with Operation Blessing, you also partner with beautiful people making a difference in the face of hardships.
