Institute Confirms Safety of Four of Five Alumni in Haiti

January 14, 2010

(Institute staff are continuing to try to contact the fifth MIIS alumna.)

Since the massive 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti two days ago, Institute staff and faculty have worked to contact five MIIS alumni known to live and work there. Four have been contacted via e-mail and social media networks and have confirmed that they are alive and safe, although communications are limited by the lack of electricity in many areas. Institute staff are continuing to try to contact the fifth MIIS alumna.

Many Institute alumni work with the type of international development and aid organizations that are active in locations such as Haiti. Of the group of five MIIS graduates in Haiti, two work for Catholic Relief Services, another for the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, another for UNICEF, and another is a freelance translator.

Concerned students, staff and faculty at the Institute are developing a campus-based relief effort. In the meantime, we encourage the global MIIS community to support the efforts of international disaster relief organizations to assist with the tremendous humanitarian needs in Haiti, and recommend the U.S. State Department’s page on the Haiti earthquake as a resource for those seeking to offer help.

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