Haiti enters third year of quake recovery

11 January 2012

This week marks the two year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. When news that hundreds of thousands had been killed, injured and displaced in what was already one of the poorest countries in the world, the Irish public responded with great compassion and generosity. Over €106,000 was donated to World Vision Ireland’s appeal. This money saved lives and has helped many of those affected get back on their feet.

January 12th 2010 – Earthquake devastates Haiti

When a 7.0-magnitude earthquake rattled Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the capital city was reduced to a crumbled, full-fledged disaster zone in a matter of minutes.
As hours, days, and weeks followed, the statistics began to emerge: one in three people in Haiti affected; more than 1 million homeless; 222,570 people killed.
Well before the dust had settled, World Vision had begun work on the biggest single-country humanitarian response ever undertaken in the organisation’s history.

World Vision’s Response

World Vision has been active in Haiti for more than 30 years, and our presence there enabled our staff to be among the first on the scene, responding within hours.

Global Rapid Response staff flew in with essential medical materials and began treating the injured. Staff worked around the clock delivering emergency shelter, food and medical treatment. This continued through the first month, when World Vision’s food distributions reached more than 471,000 people, Child-Friendly Spaces (CFSs) were set up to provide safe areas for children in sporadic camps, and clean water and latrines were delivered throughout Port-au-Prince to try to restore the health, hygiene and dignity of hundreds of thousands of displaced people.

The first six months saw thousands of children in camps benefit from early childhood education, mothers and babies receive nutritional support, people suffering depression receive psychosocial assistance, and 15 camps receive vital, free healthcare provided by 10 clinics. Targeted food, water and non-food-item distributions continued.

One year on, as emergency supplies were still being distributed, World Vision had launched major transitional shelter projects for thousands of families. Staff were responding around the country to a cholera outbreak and had assisted internally displaced persons prepare for hurricane season. Our emergency response has continued, tirelessly, for two years. It’s been a response characterised by immense challenges, from land tenure issues and political instability to extreme weather, to name a few.

Key achievements

• Some 7,731 children have benefited from World Vision’s child-friendly spaces in internally displaced person (IDP) camps.
• The family tracing and reunification programme has monitored the well-being of more than 2,000 children and reunited 1,042 with their families.
• Early childhood development learning spaces have served nearly 1,200 children in 17 camps.
• A camp management role has seen World Vision coordinate services and remain in a total of 27 camps.
• More than 2,700 transitional shelters have provided secure housing for almost 14,000 people.
• Mobile clinics, baby-friendly areas, nutrition activities, psychosocial support, disability support and hygiene promotion have reached hundreds of thousands of people.
• Some 2.57 million people were assisted with food security from January 2010 – July 2011, including school feeding and food for vulnerable families.
• More than 610 million litres of clean water have been provided to hundreds of thousands of people.
• Some 720 latrines (fixed and mobile) and 600 showers have been installed.
• Hundreds of young people have been given vocational or empowerment training or have participated in train-the-trainer cholera-prevention and health activities.
• A camp transitions programme is helping hundreds of families transition into safer, more durable housing and is providing financial support for shelter, education and livelihoods.
• By December 2011, US$8 million had been injected into the local economy through cash-based programming (cash-for-work, cash transfers), benefiting approximately 99,900 people.
• Approximately 3,500 people were trained on vegetable gardens at 10 demonstration sites.
• More than 12,000 people were trained in agricultural technology and animal husbandry.
• An integrated cholera response has included hygiene promotion, prevention activities, oral rehydration posts (ORPs), cholera treatment units (CTUs) and a cholera treatment centre (CTC).
• Advocacy efforts have ensured that Haitian voices are heard at the local, national and international levels.
• Camp residents have been prepared for hurricane seasons through community messaging and assistance, and goods have been pre-positioned around the country.
• A dedicated Innovations and Partnering Unit seeks opportunities and partnerships to leverage and strengthen our work.

In two years World Vision has distributed:

• 7,886 tents
• 122,979 tarpaulins
• 55,824 blankets
• 84,080 sleeping mats
• 40,403 kitchen sets
• 85,141 hygiene kits
• 81,839 bed sheets
• 78,374 mosquito nets
• 36,174 buckets
• 9,825 wheelbarrows
• 17,015 shovels
• 10,284 tools such as hammers, sledgehammers
• 25,370 solar lights
• 3,398 charcoal stoves
• 33,136 jerry cans
• 1,822,340 water purification tablets
• 3,507 toilet kits
• 2,548 ropes for securing tents and property

Quake response near complete, development work continues

As of September 2011, World Vision had spent nearly 90 percent of the funds raised for its earthquake response and will likely complete its response program during the second quarter of 2012. However, the organisation continues to engage in transitional work, helping families move from displacement camps into transitional and permanent homes and will continue its long-term community development work in areas outside of Port-au-Prince.

“This is not a time to back down, but rather a time to step up,” says Jean-Claude Mukadi, World Vision’s National Director in Haiti. “With the disaster recovery phase now winding down, it’s an opportune time to envision and work toward a stronger future for children, their families, and communities of Haiti.”
“The people of Haiti are resilient and hopeful,” Mukadi continues. “We will stand alongside them as they transition from managing this crisis to building a better future for themselves and their families.”

Learn more

For more information on World Vision’s earthquake and cholera response programs, please see the report, “Two Years On: Haiti Earthquake Response.”

Read "Ask an aid worker about Haiti" on the World Vision Blog.

 

 

 

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