The major earthquake that shook the Caribbean nation of Haiti overnight has become yet another in a series of natural disasters to hit this already vulnerable nation, the poorest in the western hemisphere.

The temblor, which registered 7.3 on the Richter scale and struck the area in around the capital Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, 12 January, around 5 p.m., caused heavy damage knocking down buildings and power lines.

"On behalf of the fellowship of churches of the World Council of Churches, I express our condolences and solidarity with the people of Haiti, as they once again experience the great burdens of anguish, damage, and death because of a natural catastrophe," said Tveit. "They already have carried many burdens of political instability and poverty."

In 2004 more than 3,000 people died because of Hurricane Jeanne which passed over the northwest city of Gonaives. This same area was hit again in 2008 when four tropical storm systems passed through the region.

In 2004 political instability led to the ousting of the President Jean-Baptiste Aristide. And in November 2008, a school collapse which was blamed on poor construction killed 90 people. Nearly 80 percent of Haitians live in poverty.

"The people of Haiti should now experience the prompt support and help from others," Tveit said early Wednesday morning. "Also through the work of the ACT Alliance there will be given support as expression of the actions of churches together worldwide."

"Let us keep our member churches in Haiti and all affected by the earthquake in our prayers and thoughts," he said.

Officials with Action by Churches Together (ACT), a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide, said ACT member churches are already involved in responding to the earthquake. The ACT secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, is now coordinating a global response to the catastrophe.

More information about the ACT Alliance response:
www.act-intl.org/countries.php?uid=80

WCC member churches in Haiti:
www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/caribbean/haiti.html

Information about a WCC solidarity visit to Haiti in 2008:
www.overcomingviolence.org/en/peace-convocation/living-letters-visits/haiti.html

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.