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Episcopal Relief & Development's Response to the Haiti Earthquake
Updated March 26, 2010
It is estimated that one in three Haitians were affected by the January 12 earthquake - roughly three million people. The most recent numbers from the Haitian government indicate that the death toll has reached 230,000 people.
In the aftermath of this disaster, Episcopal Relief & Development has been working closely with partners on the ground to assist those most impacted by the crisis.
Food
Since the earthquake, Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners have distributed more than 217 tons of food at sites throughout the country. Food products have included rice, beans, pasta, smoked herring, sugar, cornmeal, oatmeal, cooking oil and canned and powdered milk. Some of these supplies were purchased in-country while others were brought from the Dominican Republic. In addition, the tent camp at College St. Pierre continues to provide daily meals for over 800 people.
With support from Episcopal Relief & Development, the Diocese of the Dominican Republic has assisted with procurement and transportation, bringing two truckloads of supplies into Haiti each week. For a short time, a helicopter was also used for supply transport and distribution. Haiti’s diocesan staff has been using five trucks donated to the effort by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia and is expecting to receive four more.
Development agents from the Diocese of Haiti and Episcopal Relief & Development staff have also been participating in NGO food-cluster meetings organized with the UN system. The intention is that by collaborating with other international organizations, the partners will gain increased access to food stuffs distributed through networks operating in Haiti.
Shelter
Since the crisis, Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners are providing temporary shelter for more than 30,000 people. The Diocese of Haiti has furnished supplies for 45o families to build provisional shelters and hired three carpenters to help with construction.
The diocese also established a tent camp which at one time housed as many as 2,500 people. In addition, family tents are being provided to 900 families and 710 insecticide-treated tarps are being distributed for the construction of temporary shelter throughout the affected area. There are also 6,000 more tarps and an additional 500 family tents en-route to Haiti for immediate distribution.
Education
Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners have worked to support more than 2,000 school children. In partnership with Lutheran World Federation, school tents, which accommodate more than 50 children and teachers, have been distributed in 19 locations. An additional 27 school tents and 33,000 school kits are en route through a partnership with Lutheran World Relief.
Healthcare
Since the disaster, Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners have provided medical care to more than 12,000 survivors. In the first ten days following the earthquake, over 5,000 survivors were treated at the College St. Pierre tent camp.
Three weeks after the disaster, mobile clinics began serving needs in outlying areas. More than 7,000 patients have been treated by these clinics to date. Service to outlying areas will continue through Haiti’s rainy season. Supplies to support these mobile clinics have been procured in partnership with the Diocese of the Dominican Republic, IMA World Health, donations from other NGOs and local purchase.
Clean Water
In the wake of this crisis, Episcopal Relief & Development and its partners have helped secure access to clean water for the residents of the College St. Pierre tent camp and twelve communities in the surrounding area. This has been done in various ways. Bottled and bagged water was distributed to those at College St. Pierre immediately after the quake. This was supplemented with deliveries from a water tanker truck. In addition, the camp’s pump and cistern have been repaired and are now a reliable source of water. Finally, emergency water purification systems have been delivered to twelve communities in throughout Haiti.
Moving Forward
As the relief process continues, recovery plans for the next phase are underway. It is expected that together with our partners we will focus on:
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Cash-for-work programs to create economic opportunities for Haitians and rebuild local infrastructure
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Construction of permanent sanitation systems that will benefit more than 9,000 people
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Provision of housing and shelter to those made homeless by the quake
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Stress and trauma counseling for caretakers
For additional resources, visit our Haiti Crisis page. To assist those suffering in the wake of this disaster, please consider making an online donation to Episcopal Relief & Development’s Haiti Earthquake Response fund or calling 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to Episcopal Relief & Development, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058. Please write “Haiti Earthquake Response Fund” in the memo of all checks.
