The Jenkins-Penn Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO) has recently launched the “Beat the Rain” campaign, aimed at raising funds to support the effort to protect the hundreds of thousands of Haitians who are living in tent cities and camps as the rainy season approaches. With the rainy season comes the additional threat of cholera, tuberculosis, typhoid, tetanus, and malaria, so in order to save lives J/P HRO is hoping to provide secure, temporary homes in the region, as well as to call upon local officials to expedite the inspection process so that Haitians can return to their homes. Sean Penn, one of the founders of J/P HRO, said: “When the rain comes, it’s going to be a public health disaster. It could easily be on the scale of the earthquake itself. What we’re trying to do is prevent it. The inspection process is too slow and people are not being let back into their homes. There is enormous risk if they are not relocated or given better means of shelter soon. Disease is spreading already- tuberculosis, typhoid, tetanus, malaria. There were incredible hygiene problems within the neighborhoods prior to the quake. This is a new disaster waiting to happen, if we do not take action now and do something to prevent it.”

To learn more about “Beat the Rain” or how to get involved, please visit

http://www.jphro.org/