The 7.0 earthquake and strong aftershocks that struck near
Port-au-Prince Tuesday have added yet another dimension to the humanitarian
crisis and poverty conditions faced by over 80% of Haitians. According to
Reuters, the quake hit at a shallow depth of 6.2 miles, just ten miles from the
capital city. A hospital and several schools on the island are reported to have
collapsed, according to regional news sources. The local authorities have
declared the country in a state of emergency. The number of affected persons is
unknown. However, Haiti's ambassador to the U.S. has called the quake a
"catastrophe of major proportions."
This is a major setback for the poorest country in the
Western Hemisphere, with 55% of the population living on less than US$1/day. In
the last two years, political instability, food shortages, and tropical storms
and hurricanes have made it impossible for Haitians to break the cycle of
poverty. More than 50,000 homes were damaged or destroyed in last year's
storms, and no estimate is available yet as to the damages to Port-au-Prince
and surrounding areas, the heaviest populated area of Haiti. Most Haitian homes
are poorly constructed with walls built from poorly made concrete bricks, mud
and stones, the roof from scrap wood and metal sheets, and dirt floors, making
them unable to withstand a natural disaster of this magnitude.
What YOU Can Do to Help
You can help by sending in a special donation to
Habitat Haiti and bring hope to a country in such great need. Please know all 100% of tithe donations are
sent to your global partners.
Habitat's for Humanity's Immediate and Long
Term Response
Basic needs such as health care, food, water and
shelter are the most urgent following an event like an earthquake, to try to
mitigate harmful after-effects such as spread of disease and insecurity. Habitat
for Humanity's goal is to help low-income families in need of decent housing
because of this disaster with an emergency humanitarian response of shelter
kits, clean-up and rehabilitation.
Clean-up and
cash-for-work
Habitat for
Humanity plans to help in clean-up and rehabilitation efforts by mobilizing
people to clear the way for shelter construction and home rehabilitation. The
size of response will depend upon the amount of support we are able to
mobilize. A clean up "cash for work" program would organize people in
communities and provide them with tools (shovels, wheelbarrows, bars, etc,
etc). People would clean up debris and salvage those materials that could be
recycled in a shelter solution. This involvement in productive activity
provides an influx of cash to those affected by the disaster to help them meet
basic needs such as food, and also contributes to their mental health by
providing them with a positive, proactive opportunity to help with recovery.
Shelter kits
Shelter kits are
a basic package of materials (wall panels of either wood, composite such as
reinforced plastic or fibrocement, or other materials; as well as sheets for
roofs; nails; rope and a hammer). Although price will be determined by cost of
materials, which often rise post-disaster, we estimate that the cost for
distributing a kit per family will be US$950 per family.
The kits will be
distributed to families by Habitat employees and partners who have been trained
by Habitat in disaster response and construction techniques. Habitat for
Humanity has been implementing vocational education programs in Haiti for the
past three years and has a cadre of certified masons and carpenters ready to
assist with shelter construction in Port-au-Prince.
Transitional
shelters
In a next phase
of response Habitat for Humanity plans to repair damaged homes and also rebuild
using a transitional shelter model, whereby the shelter provides an immediate
solution to a family but also provides a permanent base structure. The model
adheres to international Sphere standards and the basic transitional shelter
unit consists of a 17.5m2 home, a 2.5 meter porch, and a separate 4m2
latrine/shower unit. The design includes a concrete floor and structure (beams
and partial wall), wall panels which can be converted later to a more permanent
material, and a hurricane-resistant roof (metal sheets or micro-concrete) at an
estimated price of between $2,000 to $3,000.
As the situation stabilizes, Habitat Haiti will build
permanent homes for families who lost so much.
Just as before the earthquake, Habitat Haiti will provide a variety of
services to families ranging from new homes, progressive building initiatives
like "core homes", renovations and financial literacy.
Habitat for Humanity has been at work in Haiti for 26 years and will use
its local expertise and mobilize resources as part of the long-term recovery
building efforts.
from Habitat for Humanity International's Tithe Division.
