Save The Children - Haiti earthquake

The worst earthquake in 200 years has struck the country. We’re already distributing medical and hygiene supplies and food.

Listen to updates from our staff on the ground in Haiti:

The earthquake hit about 10 miles south-west of Port-au-Prince, the densely-populated Haitian capital, causing massive loss of life, damage to property and leaving around 1.5 million people homeless.

With much of the city in ruins, the death toll has been estimated to be around 112,000 — making it by far the worst disaster in Haiti in over 200 years.

There is no running water, and Save the Children staff responding report that some half of all homes were damaged or destroyed. While international relief is reaching the stricken areas, children and families who survived are in dire need of shelter and support. The earthquake hit in the afternoon when many children were in school and separated from their families.

Many schools collapsed during the tremors. Hundreds of thousands of children are sleeping in makeshift shelters in temporary camps, in desperate need of relief. The risk of outbreak of diseases is very high lack due to the lack of clean water and so many people living so close together in makeshift camps.

What we’re doing

Distributing medicines and supplies to hospitals and clinics to treat around 85,000 people.
Operating a mobile health clinic in the town of Leogane with 14 international doctors - this is an area to the west of Port-au-Prince which was flattened by the earthquake.
Constructing latrines, water points and deliverng hygiene promotion message at sites of displaced people.
Supporting families with essential household and hygiene supplies such as blankets, cooking pots and plastic sheeting to meet their basic needs.
Working to ensure children are protected from abuse, exploitation, and family separation. We have set up 3 child friendly spaces to provide a safe place for children to play. We have teams working to identify unaccompanied and separated children and reunify them with their families.
Working to ensure that children are able to access safe and quality education. We will be setting up 50 temporary schools in the coming weeks.
Providing food and helping people support themselves and their families. We will support approximately 50,000 families in the worst-affected communities with this work. This will include providing 25,000 families with food rations for 3 months, and providing work for 25,000 people through cash-for-work projects.

Francina, 2, waits to be treated in the grounds of Hospital Espoire - where Save the Children is delivering a truck full of water, food and hygiene supplies. Francina was injured trying to escape her home when it collapsed in the earthquake. Her mother and father were at work when it struck. They tried four hospitals until they found her. Her mother says, “We haven’t received any aid. We haven’t even eaten since Tuesday’.

In the grounds of the Espoire Hospital, 30 patients wait to be treated. Inside doctors struggle to cope with the huge influx of patients. The hospital had to close its gates to try to manage the number of people entering, while outside queues of people wait to receive supplies from Save the Children distribution.

Thousands of frightened children who have lost their homes now take refuge in makeshift camps in Port au Prince. Alissa, eight, holds Theodore, seven months, they are now both living in a camp.

Many children have not only suffered the loss of their home they have are also suffered the trauma of losing their parents. Two year old, Andy, is pictured with his mother Cilanie. His father was killed during the earthquake.

Kathryn Bolles, Save the Children Health and Nutrition Advisor, is assessing the situation and needs of the people in Port au Prince as part of our response. In emergencies such as this, the rate of malnutrition among children is likely to rocket leaving them even more vulnerable to disease.

Sad news from our team

We have received the sad news that one member of our team in Haiti has been confirmed dead. All other missing staff are now accounted for.

Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Over 70% of Haitians live on less than $1 per day.
People only live for an average of 52 years.
Rates of infant, child, and maternal mortality are among the highest in the region. One in four children are malnourished.
Over 200,000 children are HIV and AIDS orphans. 3.8% of the population is believed to be HIV positive, among them 17,000 children.

Help us reach more familes

Help us reach more children and their families affected by the earthuake in Haiti.

Read blogs from our staff working on the ground in Haiti.

Latest News

Thursday 21 January 2010 Call for halt to new child adoptions in Haiti: We’re calling for an immediate halt to all new adoptions of Haitian children affected by the disaster. Efforts should focus on reuniting children who have lost their parents with extended families, rather than adopting them out of the country.
Tuesday 19 January 2010 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.
Thursday 14 January 2010 Children at grave risk in Haiti: We’re extremely concerned about children in Haiti who have been separated from their parents. Alone, they’re at risk of abuse and exploitation.
Wednesday 13 January 2010 Haiti struck by devastating earthquake: The worst earthquake to hit Haiti in 200 years — an enormous earthquake of 7.0 magnitude — has struck the country.