Six months on: recovery continues in Haiti

Six months on: recovery continues in Haiti

With the help of aid agencies, and the generosity of millions of individuals, Haitians are repairing their lives bit by bit after January’s earthquake.

Monday 12 July marks six months since the magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti, hitting the capital Port-au-Prince hardest, killing more than 220,000 people and devastating the lives of two million.

In the months since the earthquake, aid agencies such as World Vision have had a huge impact, but emphasise the need to remain focused on recovery programmes over the next few years.

World Vision has:

• Provided 16.8 million litres of clean water
• Distributed food to more than 1.86 million people
• Implemented water and sanitation activities in 28 camps, including constructing hundreds of toilets and showers and promoting hygiene
• Reached more than 7,700 children each week in 22 Child-Friendly Spaces in camps throughout affected areas
• Distributed tarpaulins, tents, blankets, kitchen sets and other vital household items to about 120,000 people
• Registered more than 760 children separated from their families during the earthquake, through the family tracing and reunification unit and helped reunite as many as possible with their families

But the emergency response is still very much in the early phases, says World Vision UK’s Head of Humanitarian Emergencies Mark Bulpitt.

“The crisis remains enormous, and it’s hard to underestimate the scale of this disaster and its effects. In some ways, the task is daunting but it’s important to remember progress has been made and above all, we remain committed to help Haitians build back better now and in the long term.”

9 July 2010

Haiti six months on photo gallery