SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic, August 15, 2009. —The Batey Relief Alliance is launching this month a third year of food aid—distributing 75 metric tons of food products in the Dominican Republic, with the financial and technical assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

This program, under the USAID’s Food for Peace-International Food Relief Program, responds to the steps already taken by the Dominican government to address the current food crisis and reduce malnutrition among vulnerable people. It is estimated that 54 to 76 thousand children of five years—between 7.2 and 8.9% of the Dominican population, suffers from chronic malnutrition. 27% of the total population (more than 2 million of the 8.9 million) is undernourished.

Through this program, 4 million dehydrated food rations will be distributed to 7,500 children and adults severely affected by poverty, disease and hunger in the bateyes, urban barrios and other impoverished rural and frontier communities. The program, for which USAID donated $288,075.00, with the generous support of the American people, benefits those at critical risk of malnutrition, including people living with HIV/AIDS and Tuberculosis, pregnant women, vulnerable/orphaned children, and the elderly. “It is a simple equation—you can not talk about providing quality healthcare to the poor without ensuring equally that they have food in their stomach,” said Ulrick Gaillard, CEO of the Batey Relief Alliance.

Batey Relief Alliance’s field organization, BRA Dominicana, implements the project with governmental and non-governmental strategic partners, including the Dominican’s Presidential Council on HIV/AIDS (COPRESIDA), General Directive for the Control of Infections and Sexual Transmissions and AIDS (DIGECITTS) and Ministry of Health (SESPAS), the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, Social Services of Dominican Churches, and others. Those partners along with hundreds of community health promoters will educate about health and proper nutrition and help distribute food in nine provinces, including Santo Domingo, Monte Plata, Hato Mayor, Barahona, Pedernales, La Romana, Dajabón, Monte Cristi, and San Pedro de Macoris.

The food aid program complements two other important Batey Relief Alliance projects: the Children’s Health Campaign, in partnership with Vitamin Angels, distributing multivitamins and antiparasitic medicines to 55,000 children, and the HIV/AIDS, in partnerships with the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative and the Ministry of Health, providing healthcare, medicines and antiretroviral therapy to patients to fight HIV and AIDS and opportunistic infections. “Food is a vital element that, when it is combined with good healthcare, can transform people and communities,” added Gaillard.

For more information about this release or how you can contribute to the Batey Relief Alliance’s projects, please contact Ulrick Gaillard at bra@bateyrelief.org.