Haiti earthquake: second anniversary
An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck Haiti two years ago. It hit the capital Port-au-Prince and other areas of the country, affecting over 2 million people.
During the past two years, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have worked relentlessly to help the survivors.
2011 was a year of significant transitions in the country. Nearly a million people displaced by the earthquake have left the camps, a new Government has been sworn into power, the number of people with cholera has decreased and nearly half of the debris generated by the earthquake has been cleared.
The Red Cross assisted more than 115,000 people with tents, tarpaulins, temporary accommodation and grants to rebuild their homes. Over 340,000 people were supported financially through their most difficult time, enabling them to begin to generate much needed income to rebuild their lives, and over a million people were reached with community based health and first aid services.
The Red Cross have been able to:
- treat 230,000 patients in emergency healthcare facilities
- hospitalise 25,090 patients in the cholera treatment centres and units
- provide 317,480 people with daily access to drinking water at the peak of the emergency operation
- reach 3,301,164 people through hygiene promotion activities
- help 17,898 children with grants for the payment of school fees and other educational expenses during one school year
The emergency distributions of tarpaulins, food and blankets that dominated the operation in the first year have given way to the support of livelihoods, the involvement of the authorities and local communities with providing clean water, a large camp decongestion program offering rental support and relocation grants and the overall completion of two thirds of the Red Cross Red Crescent shelter commitments.
While signs of progress are clearly visible, the humanitarian situation remains precarious. Although the immediate needs of the affected population have increasingly been met, violence and crime continue to threaten both the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable, particularly women, children, the elderly and the sick.
The camp population, once estimated to be up to 1.5 million people, has reduced to less than 550,000 people. This means thousands of people have been able to leave camps, resulting in a dramatic improvement to their living conditions.
However some concerns remain regarding where some people have moved to, how safe their new homes are and if they are getting the support they need. Equally important and less visible, are those who remained in unsafe living conditions rather than relocating to equally precarious camps. It is well known that many returned to unrepaired houses and even houses in need of demolition. It is important to not forget about these vulnerable families who are also in need of support.