On Saturday, August 14^th, Haiti experienced 7.2 magnitude earthquake. It killed over 2,200 individuals, injured close to 12,000 and leveled homes, hospitals, and schools. Your donations have helped us respond immediately with emergency relief efforts as well as plan for longer-term rehabilitation that will be so essential in Haiti’s road to recovery.

Our immediate response focused on some of the most affected areas, namely Petit Trou de Nippes, Baradères, and L’Asile, in the country’s southern departments. We have been working here for over a decade and know the area – and the people we serve – well.

In our initial assessments, in coordination with relevant national, UN, and local entities and organizations, we were able to confirm that most of the houses in these areas have been destroyed, and critical public service infrastructure like schools, hospitals, and water systems have collapsed.

With your donations so far (check out the video below!), we’ve already been able to give medical support to three of the most affected health centers in the area with over 775 medical supplies and medicines, as well as distribute 144 tarps for temporary shelter, and tools to clear excessive debris. In addition, we’ve also given cash distributions to 600 people, particularly focusing on women and the most vulnerable: single mothers, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. A common practice in humanitarian aid, cash distributions were given after carefully assessing what was available at local markets. Our experts determined this was the best and most dignified way for Haitians to get certain basic necessities.

Going forward, we will focus our efforts on three main areas: education, water, and medical attention (including mental health). 

• We will rehabilitate five different schools to ensure up to 1,500 children and 30 teachers will be able to access continuity in education, as well as provide them with mental health support to begin to heal from this collective trauma.
• We will repair drinking water systems to restore (or in some cases, establish) access to safe drinking water. In doing so we will increase local capacities for long-term management of water structures and reduce plastic pollution in the long-term.
• As this will be done in close coordination with local and community leadership, we will also be providing mental health support to these communities, which is both safe and culturally sensitive. Both the safe water and mental health activities will benefit a combined 40,000 individuals.
• Finally, we will support three of the most heavily affected medical clinics in the southern departments with medicines, essential medical supplies, and provisional shelter kits. These clinics will serve 20,035 individuals.

Overall, the extent of the damage will take time to fully be understood. It is estimated that over 579,000 people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, and overall, between 1.2-2 million people were affected.

Your donations have been essential in allowing us to respond quickly and effectively, putting our expertise to work for the good of those affected by this latest tragedy. Together, we will continue to provide support – with dignity and respect – for the most vulnerable in Haiti. Thank you.