Although reconstruction efforts in Haiti haven’t been perfect, it’s no reason to cast aside some of the victories that the NGO community has achieved in the past year. Take a look at the numbers and see for yourself — it may come as a surprise that many of these initiatives were made possible with the support from everyday citizens like you.
With more than 20 years of experience in Haiti, a network of 12 hospitals and health centers, and more than 4,400 Haitian staff, Partners in Health has recorded more than 240,000 patient visits at their clinics in spontaneous settlements.
Despite countless challenges, InterAction, with the help of more than 200 member organizations like IRC, CARE, Mercy Corp and IMC, was able to keep 1.3 million people fed, hydrated and sheltered in the camps established for displaced people.
International Medical Corps has helped facilitate the distribution of more than $16.2 million worth of donated medicines, supplies, services and equipment.
In just the first three months, CARE was able to reach more than 290,000 people and provide emergency relief such as water, tarps, mattresses, blankets, birth kits, kitchen sets, hygiene kits and food.
MercyCorps helped Haitians help themselves by creating temporary jobs for almost 172,000 people and improve basic infrastructure for 45 communities.
In the past year, the UNDP has contributed to the clearance of 1 million cubic meters of debris, a key part of beginning the reconstruction process.
The World Food Programme is currently feeding 1.1 million children a hot school meal every day, since the earthquake damaged 4,200 schools throughout Haiti.
After a year of intense detective work, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has reunited more than 1,300 children with their relatives. More than 250 IRC case workers have scoured camps and neighborhoods across the country to locate living parents and extended family with missing children.
Little by little, we can help create a better and stronger Haiti — and statistics like these show that we are making a difference on the ground. Got any numbers you think we should add? Tell us in the comments below.
Here’s an update on the water and sanitation situation in Haiti from our resident expert, Brooke Riley.
As we look back over the last year in Haiti, we must acknowledge the critical role water and sanitation has played in the country historically and in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck one year ago.
Before the earthquake, 45 percent of the population lacked access to safe water, and a staggering 83 percent of the population lacked access to sanitation. The consequences of not having access to safe water and basic sanitation are enormous for the Haitian population. Even before the earthquake, diarrhea — which can result from consumption of contaminated water — killed one in five Haitian children each year.
The earthquake exacerbated the problems of an already weak infrastructure and highlighted the need for serious investments in the water and sanitation infrastructure in order to achieve health and economic gains. It is estimated that the earthquake caused $235 million in damages to water and sanitation facilities, and 437 settlements currently lack adequate sanitation. Even more disturbing, a severe and deadly cholera outbreak — which started in October and continues to plague the country today — has led to 171,304 cases and claimed the lives of 3,651 Haitians.
Although numerous challenges persist, there are many groups working hard every day in Haiti to bring clean water and sanitation to communities. While the task at hand is enormous, it’s encouraging to see the work that is being done across Haiti, including the installation of family latrines, promotion of hygiene practices and repair of water infrastructure systems. InterAction’s Haiti Aid Map provides an overview of all water and sanitation projects in the country and a description of each.
It’s been one year since my family survived the devastating 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. Since I shared so much of their story with you last year, I wanted to send you a quick update on how they’re doing and what things are like on the ground.
Recently, I took a trip to Port-au-Prince to visit my family. I’m happy to report they’re healthy and well. But a lot of what I saw on the ground surprised me. It looked to me as if the earthquake had just hit. There were piles and piles of concrete debris. Blue and white tents were scattered everywhere. These tents were meant to be temporary. Right now, they’re what a lot of Haitians call home.
But even amongst all this ruin, the people of Haiti still have a whole lot of hope. Take my aunt, for example. She’s been a teacher in Haiti for 20 years. During my trip, she showed me the remains of her school. I saw rubble and mangled desks. She saw — and quickly pointed out — a few planks standing upright in front of me. “Don’t worry,” she said, “I’ve started to rebuild.”
The road to recovery has been a bumpy one, and Haiti has faced some big set-backs — most recently the devastating cholera outbreak, and a precarious political situation with the Haitian government. But moved by the outpouring of concern and long-term help because of members like you, my aunt — along with millions of other Haitians — are finding ways to rebuild their lives, one plank, one nail, one classroom at a time.
Haiti is slowly rebuilding. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Schools across the country are reopening, hospitals are staffing up, and communities are fighting to come back, stronger than ever before. It hasn’t been easy — and they’ve still got a long way to go — but this progress would not have been possible without the determination of the Haitian people and the hard work and compassion of people like you, ONE members who worked together to cancel Haiti’s crippling debt last year.
This is just one story — the story of my family in Haiti. But there are projects and organizations pitching in to help for the long-term all across the country. Take a look at the slide show of photos from my own journey, and learn more about the work happening each and every day in Haiti in our blog series.
Paul Altidor of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund discusses some of the efforts that his organization has done to help rebuild Haiti. He also urges Americans to support the energetic and committed people who are working to get the country back on its feet.
Today marks the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, which killed more than 200,000 people and left millions homeless. Immediately following the earthquake, President Barack Obama charged former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush with launching a fund-raising effort –- later named the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund –- to help alleviate the short-term suffering of the Haitian people and make a meaningful investment in their future.
The two former Presidents agreed that the mission of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund would be based on a simple and powerful belief: Haiti needs smart investments that will put people back to work and create the environment for vibrant, sustainable economic growth.
The aim is to eliminate the root causes of poverty that exacerbated the effects of the earthquake and to help Haiti transform itself into a country where all people have the opportunity to prosper.
Roseann Dennery of Samaritan’s Purse believes that life is getting better for millions of Haitians, no matter what their circumstance — deaf, sick, young and old — with the help of aid efforts from organizations like hers.
Madame Jean
There is a well-known proverb in Haiti. Piti Piti zwazo fe nich; little by little the bird makes its nest. When I say it to locals in broken Kreyòl it always elicits laughter and an understanding nod of the head. It’s been their mantra for decades. Step by step. We will make a way.
Throughout the year since the disaster, there were the tangibles of progress in shattered communities. The balancing of buckets full of clean water carried through muddied village paths. A nurse carefully bandaging a wound in a mobile clinic. Hammers driving nails to construct shelters to protect thousands. Life is moving forward.
But behind the images of relief efforts, there are stories that run deeper. The strength in the eyes of a mother named Madame Jean who lost her husband. The compassion of a young man who opened an orphanage for children left behind. The kindness of strangers who travel from abroad to treat cholera. These are the movements of hope that make their home in post-earthquake life in Haiti.
As you know, tomorrow is the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake that shook Haiti. Many in the NGO community are using this moment to look back on donor and humanitarian efforts from the past 12 months and assess what needs to be done to keep things moving forward.
In a recent editorial, Gary Edson, CEO of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, suggests that “The world must redouble the efforts of the past year to tend to the many remaining urgent needs. At the same time, we must not lose sight of a need just as critical: creating the building blocks for long-term, vigorous economic expansion and job growth — the only real path to a stronger and better Haiti.”
Mr. Edson outlines four steps that the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund is following to help them achieve these goals. In the past year, the Fund has raised more than $52 million toward Haiti reconstruction efforts.
This is the focus that former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush have given the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Since we began independent operations in May 2010, we have dedicated ourselves to making targeted, thoughtful grants and investments in four areas that are at the foundation of viable economic growth:
Restarting, expanding and creating new small businesses, in which women play a large role;
Supporting a transition from an underground economy to a formal one;
Bolstering job creation, particularly jobs providing direct social benefits; and
Empowering people, especially women and youth, with life skills and job training to embrace economic opportunity.
Read the rest of his editorial, “Helping Haiti not just survive but thrive” on Yahoo News.
Check out this great post from Gail McGovern, President and CEO of the American Red Cross:
Watching the news this week, it’s likely you’ll see images of how bad things still are in Haiti one year after the earthquake. You might wonder whether your donation has done any good, and whether there is hope. I can assure you that the answer is yes on both counts.
The money Americans donated provided life-saving relief to hundreds of thousands of Haitians. It gave people food, water, protection against the elements, and vaccinations against deadly diseases. It has also enabled us to keep important hospitals open. And with time, more visible signs of progress are appearing, such as the brightly colored transitional homes that we and our partners are building.
Like all of us, I wish the pace of progress was faster. But I have to keep reminding myself that Haiti was a very poor country before this disaster, and that in many cases, aid groups are not rebuilding Haiti—they are building some of the infrastructure for the first time.
It’s a rollercoaster of emotions every time I go to Haiti. There’s deep sadness, despair, but also pride, joy and, yes, hope. With the incredible generosity of Americans, the strength and determination of the Haitian people and the heroic efforts of aid organizations and governments like ours who are helping, there is hope for the people of Haiti.
-Gail McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross
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