Delivering aid in Haiti

As Save the Children’s emergency response teams are delivering aid to children and families in Haiti we are also looking to the future with a long-term plan to help re-build the impoverished, earthquake-ravaged country.

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Lee Nelson, Save the Children director, talking to children outside a temporary shelter in the Save the Children office compound where they're living.

On the ground in Haiti the immediate priorities continue to be medical assistance, shelter, water, food, sanitation and corpse management.

With temperatures reaching 85 degrees during the day and little shade in the camps that have sprung up around Port-au-Prince, the situation is dire.
Of particular concern is the health and safety of young children and babies being born at the camps sheltering homeless families. With little clean water and unsanitary conditions, disease could easily spread and be fatal for the youngest earthquake survivors.

What are we doing?

Our response is taking place in the worst affected areas of Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, Leogone, Petit Guave and their surrounding areas. We’re also in the process of setting up new bases in Jacmel and Leogane.

Our emergency response teams have been delivering food, water and household kits, which include essential items such as cooking pans and blankets. We are also continuing to distribute life-saving medical supplies. A 15-metric-ton shipment of supplies arrived in Haiti from AmeriCares on Monday and two mobile medical centres are operational from today.

Find out more

Safe places for children

Up to two million children could be affected by the devastating earthquake. Three million people are estimated to have been directly affected, and an average family in the area has at least three children. Establishing safe areas for children is vital.

“This is not a safe place for children,” said Gareth Own, Save the Children's director of emergencies, “We know that the prison has collapsed and lone children are incredibly vulnerable. This is an unbelievably traumatic experience for children. The emotional damage of what they’re going through could last their entire lives.”

Staff still unaccounted for

At the time of the earthquake, Save the Children had 160 staff in country, 58 of which were in the Port-au-Prince office. Seven of those staff are still unaccounted for. We have since flown in an additional 50 staff.

Planning for the future

Save the Children US President and CEO Charles MacCormack said: “We are on the ground delivering aid to children and families in Haiti right now, but we must do much more than that. It’s key we all use this opportunity to build back better in Haiti. Save the Children drew on strong public support to do just that in Asia following the massive Tsunami that hit 5 years ago, and we can do the same for the Haitian people who have endured so much.”

Find out more about what we are doing

Please support the Haiti appeal

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