Greater Boston Reacts To Devastating Earthquake In Haiti

Lionel Lucien, who lives in Stoughton, is still waiting to hear from family members in Haiti. The church where he was baptized is in ruins.

"It's very difficult to watch and sometimes gives a sense of hopelessness," he told WBUR just hours after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti Saturday morning. "But, again, people have to remain strong, they have to remain vigilant, they have to be careful."

At least 724 people have died, and more than 2,800 were injured, according to Haiti's civil protection service as of Sunday afternoon. The magnitude of the earthquake raised fears that the destruction could be similar to the devastation after the 2010 earthquake that left 220,000 dead and 1.5 million people displaced.

Lucien, who's a board member of the immigrant-focused Youth & Family Enrichment Services in Hyde Park, said since the 2010 earthquake, a contingent of local Haitians have pooled resources to send aid during each subsequently devastating earthquake and hurricane. He hopes the Haitian government responds quickly.

"This is devastating," U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who co-chairs the Congressional Haiti Caucus, said Saturday at an open house for a newly-located district office in Hyde Park.

"This certainly is the worst time, just on the heels of still recovering from previous earthquakes, hurricanes, being ravaged by the pandemic and then the assassination," she said. "We're going to continue work to make sure that the recovery here is one that Haitian-led. It's really important that civil society be engaged in getting to a place of stability, security and peace for the region."

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey stated on Twitter, "We must move quickly to assess the situation + provide support to those impacted. Our hearts are with Haiti as we continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Haitian people."

Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey posted on Twitter that "Boston supports all those recovering from this heartbreaking destruction."