©2010 Adventist® Risk Management, Inc.
(Silver Spring, Maryland) The U.S. State Department and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, reports that conditions in the country of Haiti remain hazardous and all individuals traveling to the affected area should take proper precautions. Adventist Risk Management, Inc., (ARM), is monitoring the situation and is encouraging volunteer groups considering trips to Haiti to coordinate their plans first with either Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Adventist Health International (AHI) at Loma Linda University Global Health Institute in California, or the Inter-American Division of Seventh-day Adventists (IAD) in Miami, Florida.
ADRA and AHI have issued statements asking volunteer groups to coordinate with organizations already on the ground in Haiti before making travel plans. They also encourage all interested individuals to help by providing financial assistance to the Haiti relief efforts. Ken Flemmer, ADRA’s director of Agency Safety and Security says, “Church leaders must be keenly aware of the risks associated with taking groups into Haiti. Planning information for church groups is available from Crisis Consulting International’s Web site: http://www.cricon.org/tech_bulletin.htm,” says Flemmer.
ARM advises volunteer groups that are interested in going to Haiti at this time to plan carefully and consider potential exposures the group may encounter. “We need to remind everyone that the need for volunteers to help with relief and the rebuilding efforts for Haiti will be going on for a very long time,” says Arthur Blinci vice president for ARM. “It is important to remember that the safety of your volunteers is critical to the success of all mission endeavors.”
ARM encourages groups to monitor travel warnings posted by the U.S. State Department, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Groups should also purchase Short-Term Travel Accident Insurance to cover all volunteers. This coverage is available through ARM’s Travel Hub at www.adventistrisk.org.
For more information on travel alerts for Haiti, please visit the following Web sites:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/content/news-announcements/relief-workers-haiti.aspx