Salvation Army Establishes New Recovery and Development Office in Haiti

AFTER eight months of emergency response to the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country of Haiti, The Salvation Army is moving to a new phase of recovery and long-term development that will address continuing humanitarian needs.

This week, with the encouragement and support of The Salvation Army's international leadership and the leaders of its Caribbean Territory, a new Haiti Recovery and Development Office has been inaugurated in Port-au-Prince. Under the leadership of Major Lucien Lamartiniere (Divisional Commander, Haiti), Major Ron Busroe, as director of the new office, will coordinate a team of five Salvation Army officers whose mandate is to direct all post-earthquake recovery and development initiatives carried out in Haiti in the months to come, through one streamlined implementation plan.

Major Ron Busroe is from The Salvation Army's USA Southern Territory but has experience of working on Haiti where he was divisional commander from 2001-2007.

Major Busroe and the other team members – Major Carol Busroe (USA Southern Territory), Majors Robert and Rae Doliber (USA Central Territory) and Majors Jean and Christine Volet (Switzerland, Austria and Hungary Territory) – are committed to working closely with donors and other non-government organisations to ensure that all projects incorporate both the needs of the community and the mission of The Salvation Army in Haiti. It is intended that the rest of the team will be made up of local Haitians who will be appointed in due course.

The changes in Haiti follow the appointment of Lieut-Colonel Heidi Bailey as International Haiti Earthquake Response Director at International Headquarters. Lieut-Colonel Bailey is directing and coordinating all Haiti earthquake support to the Caribbean Territory. She will liaise with local Salvation Army leadership in Haiti and donor offices around the world.