It is all very sad...but there are organizations that are doing great work in Haiti and that is why today I am choosing to highlight an organization that has been working to help the people of Haiti for over 30 years. Today's post is a little lengthy - I hope you will take a few minutes to read it and consider what you are able to do to make a difference.
Haiti Earthquake Response: One year later
When the 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, at least 220,000 people lost their lives, and millions were displaced from their homes.
World Vision responded within hours. With more than 800 local staff members, 30 years of experience in Haiti, and disaster-relief supplies pre-positioned in the region, World Vision was uniquely prepared to provide immediate relief and assistance.
In the first few days following the earthquake, World Vision provided medical supplies and care to injured children and families in Haiti. And over the past year, more than 1.8 million people have received food, and hundreds of thousands were provided with life-saving supplies, including tarpaulins and tents. World Vision also opened Child-Friendly Spaces in Haiti to help children work through the trauma caused by the earthquake and began providing transitional shelters to families who had lost their homes.
Thanks to the support of generous donors, quake-affected families are beginning to recover and rebuild. World Vision will continue to remain active in Haiti for years to come, equipping families to create a better future for themselves and their children.
In addition to the development work we’ve been doing in Haiti for 30 years, World Vision has worked in 27 displacement camps since the January 2010 disaster. Because of the multiple challenges that exist in Haiti, helping families rebuild is a marathon, not a sprint. As we address these challenges, World Vision remains committed to the health, safety, and well-being of vulnerable children affected by the quake.
Child Protection:
Protecting children is a top priority following any disaster. After the quake in Haiti, thousands of children were thrust into vulnerable situations in displacement camps. As their parents work to rebuild their lives, these children need a safe place to play and receive emotional support.
World Vision has established 22 Child-Friendly Spaces where the youngest quake survivors can play, sing, learn, and begin to heal from the effects of the tragedy. Currently, more than 5,600 children benefit from Child-Friendly Spaces each week.
World Vision is also working to reunite separated children with their families. In the aftermath of the disaster, an estimated 100,000 children were found to be unaccompanied by family members. Through our family tracing and reunification program, World Vision is providing separated children with care and psychosocial support while seeking to locate surviving relatives. In the first year following the quake, nearly 700 children were reunited with their families.
Shelter:
Following the complete destruction of 105,000 homes and the damage wrought to another 208,000, approximately 1.5 million Haitians found themselves in need of shelter. Families who settled into the 1,300 camps across Haiti were extremely vulnerable to the threat of heavy rain and hurricanes.
World Vision’s initial response prioritized the provision of temporary shelters to protect displaced families from the elements. In the immediate aftermath of the quake, we provided more than 113,400 tarpaulins and nearly 7,500 tents to quake-affected individuals.
World Vision’s long-term shelter program aims to provide more than 3,500 families in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas with earthquake- and flood-resistant transitional shelters. These sturdy-framed shelters are designed for long-term use and will provide families with safety and an increased sense of stability as they work to rebuild their lives. World Vision is working to build transitional housing that will provide displaced Haitians with earthquake- and flood-resistant homes as they work to build new lives.
Despite obstacles, including land scarcity, ownership disputes, and debris blocking potential building sites, World Vision has already constructed more than 620 transitional shelters. As we continue to assist those without homes, we are also supporting families in the process of returning to their old homes by providing them with kits containing home improvement supplies.
Health and nutrition:
Access to basic medical services was severely limited in the aftermath of the quake. Children, pregnant women, and those who suffered injuries were left extremely vulnerable to disease and health complications.
In the first year of earthquake response, World Vision focused on meeting the immediate health needs of these vulnerable individuals. During this period, we responded to more than 54,000 visits to health centers, providing critical health, hygiene, and nutrition services.
In addition to supporting 14 hospitals in Haiti by distributing essential medical supplies, World Vision also operated 17 clinics, providing critical healthcare for displaced children and families. Nine of these clinics continue to serve 11 displacement camps within Port-au-Prince, and two additional clinics offer basic health services to families in three camps on the city’s border.
Nurses at mobile clinics helped to monitor the nutritional status of children under 5, and World Vision provided supplementary and therapeutic food for mothers and children suffering from malnutrition. At World Vision Mother’s Clubs, parents — particularly pregnant and nursing mothers — were provided with opportunities to learn about proper nutritional practices. More than 5,000 mothers in Haiti’s displacement camps continue to benefit from these clubs.
As the country struggles to rebuild its infrastructure and access to health services remains limited, World Vision is committed to continue helping vulnerable Haitians access critical care. A mother takes her child to be tested for malnutrition at a World Vision clinic for babies and pregnant mothers. In the critical first year after the quake, World Vision helped to combat malnutrition in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas by providing health monitoring and nutritional assistance.
Food security:
Extreme food insecurity that existed in Haiti before January 2010 was exacerbated when families lost their homes and livelihoods in the earthquake. Faced with increasing food prices, insufficient incomes, and the loss of cropland, many found themselves regularly missing meals. Children suffered from hunger-related conditions including malnutrition and anemia.
In the first months of emergency response, World Vision provided food rations including rice, beans, oil, corn-soy blend (CSB), and salt to more than 229,700 households. As families settled in displacement camps, World Vision also established food-for-work programs that enabled individuals to earn food by helping maintain the cleanliness of the camps.
Currently, World Vision is operating a school feeding program through which approximately 70,900 children in more than 450 schools receive regular meals consisting of rice, pulses, oil, and high-energy biscuits. An additional 49,200 children benefit from nutritious meals distributed at 180 feeding centers across three communes.
In addition to responding to immediate needs by providing emergency food to prevent hunger and malnutrition, World Vision is also equipping families to create a sustainable future. Through cash-for-work and cash-for-training programs, small loans, and business trainings, individuals are learning skills that will enable them to earn money for their families while helping their communities rebuild. Nearly 19,000 people have benefited from these job-creation initiatives, which will continue over the long term as we help Haiti rebuild.
Water, sanitation, and hygiene:
The earthquake placed additional stress on already poor water and sanitation systems, contributing to decreased access to water and widespread contamination of existing water sources.
World Vision responded to the urgent needs of families in Port-au-Prince by distributing bottled water and purification tablets. In the months following the disaster, we installed water tanks in displacement camps, distributed containers for collecting water, and provided 190 million liters of clean drinking water to more than 132,000 people in 40 locations across Port-au-Prince. To improve sanitation and prevent the contamination of water sources, we also constructed more than 700 latrines and nearly 600 showers.
By training families to practice improved hygiene and providing them with access to clean water, World Vision’s water, sanitation, and hygiene programs have helped to prevent the spread of disease within the displacement camps. When a cholera outbreak hit Haiti in late October 2010, World Vision began educating more children about hand washing and sanitation and started mass distributions of soap and water purification tablets.
With more than 1 million people still living in displacement camps, where the threat of cholera and other diseases remains, World Vision continues to make water and sanitation efforts a top priority. As families settle in transitional shelters and begin returning to their homes, World Vision will continue to focus on building and rehabilitating community water points, latrines, showers, and water tanks.
Maybe we can all do a little to help out those who so desparately need our help!
Get Involved:
Donate to World Vision's Haiti Relief and Long Term Support program.
Please donate to provide essential support — including food, health care, and shelter — to children and families throughout Haiti. Thanks to grant funds, your gift will multiply 5 times to provide help and hope.
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Source: http://www.worldvision.org/
