At 08.30 on Saturday morning, local time, Haiti was hit by a strong earthquake.
The quake had its epicenter in the sea 8 miles north of the coastal city of Saint-Louis-du Sud and 150 kilometers west of the country's capital Port-au-Prince.
The magnitude of 7.2 means that the quake is even stronger than in 2010 when an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 caused enormous damage in Haiti. At that time, between 212,000 and 300,000 people died, according to the country's official figures.
Star of Hope has worked on-site in Haiti since 1978 and runs schools for 3,600 children in seven projects. Star of Hopes's operations managers in the country, Myrtha Dór, and Tony Boursiquot, were in their home outside Port-au-Prince when the earthquake started.
"Everyone felt the quake and was extremely scared," says Tony.
Their own home survived the damage.
"Right now we are trying to find out how our children have been affected", Myrtha says. "We have not yet received any information about material damage or lost lives from our project villages."
"The people in the southern part of the country felt the earthquake the most," says Tony.
We have received reports of destroyed houses and churches. Injured and dead are also reported, especially from the city of Jeremie.
Right now, they are working hard to create a clearer picture of the scale of the disaster and the most urgent need for help.
For questions, contact:
Mark Presson
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