FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 14, 2021

Haiti: Severe earthquake shakes the southwest of the country

Malteser International prepares emergency response

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Cologne/Port-au-Prince. On the morning (local time) of Saturday, August 14th, 2021, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 shook southwestern Haiti. The quake occurred 8 kilometers from the town of Petit Trou de Nippes, about 150 kilometers from the capital Port-au-Prince. The Malteser International team in Haiti is preparing initial emergency relief measures for the people in the region.

“Today’s earthquake was as strong as the severe quake in 2010, in which more than 300,000 people lost their lives. We expect today’s quake to have devastating consequences. For years, we have been supporting the people in this region, as they are particularly vulnerable. The stone houses in the affected region, in the department of Nippes, are very simply built. The employees of our local partner organizations report that buildings have collapsed like houses of cards. Our colleagues were all able to get to safety, but we do not yet have any information on how many people lost their lives in this quake. As soon as the exact extent of this disaster is clear, we will start an extensive emergency relief,” says Carla Wehmeier, Project Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean of Malteser International.

“I am deeply shocked. I can’t believe what else the people of Haiti have to endure. They already had little yesterday. Today, they literally have nothing. The department of Nippes is the focus of our aid in Haiti. We have known the people we work with for many years. We will now provide help as soon as we can,” says Yolette Etienne, Malteser International Project Coordinator in Haiti.

Since the reconstruction after the earthquake in 2010, Malteser International has been active in Haiti, mainly in the department of Nippes. In the past eleven years, staff members have rebuilt schools, a health center and sanitary facilities, among other things, to make them earthquake-proof. To enable the people to provide for themselves, Malteser International is planting kitchen gardens. In addition, mangrove forests are being reforested.

Malteser International is the worldwide relief organization of the Sovereign Order of Malta for humanitarian aid. The organization provides aid to people in need in around 100 projects in 30 countries, regardless of their religion, origin or political convictions. Christian values and the humanitarian principles of impartiality and independence form the basis of its work. Further information: www.malteser-international.org 

Attention editors:
Carla Wehmeier, Project Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean of Malteser International, and

Yolette Etienne, Project Coordinator of Malteser International in Haiti, is available for interviews and sound bites.

Operator: +1 786 354 6294 – Ravi Tripptrap – ravi.tripptrap(@)malteser-international(dot)org

Keyword: “Haiti”

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