John Boyd, President of MAF, is a former MAF pilot in Haiti. (Photo courtesy MAF).

Mission Aviation Fellowship has ministered in Haiti since 1986. It knows Haiti’s geography, language and culture. MAF was present during the January 12 earthquake. Following the quake, MAF coordinated transportation for hundreds of aid workers and tons of cargo.

Since then, MAF has worked with hundreds of agencies and the UN to help rebuild Haiti. MAF President, John Boyd, himself, has served in Haiti as an MAF pilot.

While MAF has been ministering in Haiti since 1986, it is currently at the center of disaster relief efforts and is now coordinating rebuilding efforts with other ministries, NGOs and the U.N.

The recent six-month anniversary of the catastrophic 7.0 earthquake has brought Haiti back into to the news again.

But much of the post-quake information — both negative and positive — has been overlooked by the mainstream media.

Mission Aviation Fellowship and its president, are in a unique position to provide accurate, insightful updates on the Haiti situation like few other organizations, says a media release from the ministry .

The release says there are many compelling reasons why the American public should continue to support the Haiti rebuilding effort.

Among insights Boyd and the MAF ministry at large can expand on are:

**Most of Port-au-Prince still has no electricity or running water.
**Thousands of bodies are still buried in the debris. At current rates, clearing Haiti will take 20 years.
**Today 1.6 million displaced persons are scattered in more than 1,300 tent cities. Many shelters have ripped apart in rainy season storms. Forecasters predict an active 2010 hurricane season.
**Crime, violence and squalor are rampant. UN troops and national police have raided camps in search of criminals and escaped convicts. Amid near-anarchy, women and children are vulnerable to rape and other violence. **Children face extreme peril to their safety and survival.
**A birthrate spike carries heightened risk of HIV. Some camps have HIV rates higher than national average. Haiti’s population increases by 1 percent annually, yet Haiti cannot produce enough food for its people, who at best typically eat only one meal a day.
**Haitian joblessness is at 90 percent. Most earn less than $1 a day. Prices have risen 25 percent.
**Good news: A productive spring harvest may increase food availability, lowering food prices.

Founded in the U.S. in 1945, MAF (www.maf.org ) missionary teams of aviation, communications, technology and education specialists overcome barriers in remote areas, transform lives and build God’s Kingdom by enabling the work of more than 1,000 partner organizations.

With its fleet of 58 bush aircraft — including the new KODIAK — MAF serves in 42 countries across Africa, Asia, Eurasia and Latin America. MAF pilots transport missionaries, medical personnel, medicines and relief supplies, as well as conduct thousands of emergency medical evacuations in remote areas.

MAF also provides telecommunications services, such as satellite Internet access, high-frequency radios, electronic mail and other wireless systems.

For further information or to arrange an interview with John Boyd, media outlets should contact: Nicole Aptekar, 909-851-0326, naptekar@maf.org

Michael Ireland, ANS