UPDATE: Haiti
The public response to the earthquake in Haiti has been strong thus far, with corporations such as Amazon.com, ITT, Best Buy, Western Union, Gap, Nike and Violá generously contributing to our efforts at Mercy Corps. The Chronicle of Philanthropy calculates that donations to 32 US nonprofit groups providing relief in Haiti, including Mercy Corps, have exceeded $305 million.
However, powerful aftershocks continued to shake the ground all week, creating panic and reminding people that an urgent need for help remains. There are widespread casualties and extensive damage. The truth is that no accurate death toll exists, for there are too many problems pertaining to the dire needs of the living to worry about the dead. Logistical challenges continue to slow the delivery of aid, with basic needs such as water, food, and medical supplies are in desperately short supply.
As part of Global Citizen Corps we can all do something. First, learn more about the situation in Haiti and check out the Haiti Emergency Action Pack, read blog posts from Mercy Corps staff on the ground. Share your action projects and ideas with the community so we can all make a difference.
With three-quarters of Port-au-Prince being reduced to rubble, an estimated 1.5 million people are homeless. At least 500,000 people are currently living outdoors in improvised camps. Now, public buses are being sent to take these survivors to the south and north of the country where tented settlements will eventually be built.
The University of Haiti made an early effort to address the psychological toll of the earthquake by sending a team of student trauma counselors into the streets. Yet, untreated wounds and rising disease continues to be the most critical danger survivors face. Doctors have reported that at the General Hospital the water and power are both out and medical supplies is extremely low. With other hospitals even worse off, untreated injuries, infectious disease and dismal sanitary conditions could take large numbers of lives in the days to come.
The United Nation’s capacity in Haiti has been seriously diminished. The headquarters in Port-au-Prince collapsed, killing 46 staff members and causing approximately 200 more to be feared dead. The organization has, however, pledged more than $550 million in aid and like Mercy Corps, has announced plans for a cash-for-work program.
With at least 11,000 US military service members are now in Haiti or on ships nearby, the US continues to support what President Obama calls “one of the largest international relief efforts in history.” In addition, the military announced that it plans to send 4,000 more sailors and Marines.
Mercy Corps’ Response
Mercy Corps is focusing on the immediate humanitarian needs on the ground, coordinating with the UN and other NGOs to provide food, water, child protection, and economic recovery.
Mercy Corps emergency response team distributed nutrient-rich biscuits to nearly 5,000 earthquake-survivor patients and their families at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince. This distribution is being done in collaboration with Partners In Health, who is providing care and medical supplies to the hospital.
Our growing team of responders consists of experts from around the world – coming from Africa, Asia, and North America – who have responded to devastating disasters before. Mercy Corps’ team leader, Richard Jacquot, has directed our relief operations in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo, cyclone-battered Myanmar and the U.S. Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Country Director for Haiti, Bill Holbrook, is a seasoned veteran of international aid work, having spent nearly 20 years serving the needs of impoverished communities in Haiti, Sudan and Azerbaijan. They, along with our other brave first responders, are focusing on three areas of response:
Health, clean water, and sanitation: Mercy Corps is helping survivors access vital clean water and sanitation services through collaboration with ITT Corporation and Partners in Health. Our water expert is working closely with other NGOs to identify and rehabilitate ground water sources in and around Port-au-Prince. We’ve already started examining and trying to rehabilitate wells. Through a broader philanthropic partnership with ITT, a global leader in the treatment and transport of water, the company and Mercy Corps are deploying five high-capacity water filtration units.
Psychosocial support: Mercy Corps is preparing to provide post-trauma help to children using Comfort for Kids, a methodology developed by Mercy Corps and Bright Horizons, a global workplace childcare provider.
Job creation: Mercy Corps is planning to initiate a cash-for-work program, paying earthquake survivors a daily wage to clear debris, restore buildings, repair basic infrastructure. This enables entire communities to be rebuilt, work together, and have the dignity of earning their own money and getting their economies back on track.
