MONTE PLATA, DR, December 14, 2011. – The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) launched for the fifth consecutive year a Food Security Program by which, 243.88 metric tons of food will be distributed 25,600 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

This program, funded by USAID’s Food for Peace Office-IFRP, responds to the continuing efforts by both organizations to reduce malnutrition and the scarcity of food among the most vulnerable and impoverished urban slums and rural batey communities of the Dominican Republic and border villages in the Southeastern border regions of Haiti.

Sixteen other local partner government and non-governmental organizations will assist BRA in distributing 243.88 metric tons of dehydrated food, donated by the USAID. These foods will benefit internally displaced people affected by the earthquake of Haiti in January 2010. Other beneficiaries include pregnant women, orphaned/vulnerable children, adults and the elderly, and people affected by cholera and living with HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis.

The food distribution complements other important BRA programs that provide antiparasitic medicines and multivitamins to 62,000 children; deliver comprehensive healthcare and antiretroviral treatment to 550 people living with HIV/AIDS; support the development of agricultural cooperatives for 35,000 rural farmers and their families; and deliver skills training and microcredit to 150 Haitian women.

Before the earthquake of January 2010, the UN World Food Programme had classified Haiti as a food deficit country with a low-income population of approximately 2.4 million inhabitants. Currently, 24 percent of Haiti’s population suffers from chronic malnutrition. As in the case of the Dominican Republic, it is estimated that approximately 13 percent of children under five living in rural areas and 8 percent of those living in urban areas, suffer from chronic malnutrition. 27 percent of the population (or more than 2 million of the 8.9 million that make up the total population) suffers from conditions of malnutrition.

For more information about BRA or how to support its humanitarian work in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, please visit our website at www.bateyrelief.org.

Can’t find that perfect gift?
How about giving the gift of health?

The Batey Relief Alliance offers a cost-effective way, away from stores’ hustles, and private into your quiet home environment, to support one of our many life-saving projects, while knowing that your tax-deductible dollar gift will save a precious life.

This year, we delivered at our medical centers critical healthcare and essential medicines to more than 100,000 children and adults who are severely affected by extreme poverty, disease, and hunger in remote villages of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 62,000 school-aged children received micronutrients, antiparasitic medicines and food to enhance their health capacity to learn in school, while 450 people living with HIV/AIDS received counseling, clean water, nutrition and antiretroviral therapy to rebuild their lives.

With your holiday gift this year, we will do even more next year by building a second medical clinic desperately needed inside Dominican deep rural “batey” communities, expanding life-saving health and HIV care to 20,000 more people who are poor and at greatest risk of diseases. The new facility will only cost $150,000, but will improve the health and save lives for thousands who stand between the fine lines of life and death.

With your gift, we will train 165 community health promoters to educate communities about health crisis prevention techniques; deliver critical healthcare and antiretroviral therapy to an additional 76 HIV patients; and prevent diseases among 20,000 patients.

Just click HERE and make a meaningful difference in the lives of someone in need. Donate $50, $100, $250 or any other amount on behalf of that extra special someone or for yourself. Your gift will make a lasting impact.

Thank you for your support and have a Happy Holiday!