Integral has launched a Disaster Response for people affected by the earthquake that hit Haiti on 14th August …
Currently 13 Integral Members are responding to this humanitarian crisis.[1]
In the aftermath of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that rocked southwestern Haiti, 1,419 people lost their lives, and more than 6,900 people were wounded. Haitian Civil Protection General Directorate (DGPC) reports more than 37,000 homes have been destroyed leaving thousands of people homeless. [Source here].
In the most affected departments – Sud, Grand’Anse and Nippes – at least 7,000 houses were destroyed and more than 4,800 damaged. These three departments reported the most infrastructure damage, including schools and hospitals. [Source here]. The President has declared a one-month state of emergency in the country which was already facing multiple overlapping crises including insecurity, hunger and shortages of medical supplies, as well as still recovering from the devastating 2010 earthquake where 200,000 died.
Since this earthquake struck, Integral Members and their Partners have been carrying out assessments while providing immediate assistance to affected families. People are in urgent need of food, water, shelter and medical supplies. Integral Members are raising funds and are well positioned to respond to this disaster with ongoing work in the areas affected and long-standing relationships with Haitian Partners and churches, especially RIPHED – a local disaster preparedness, response and advocacy network that works in collaboration with the Integral Alliance.
Marc Romyr Antoine, Haiti Country Director for Integral Member Tearfund (UK) reports from the country: “This earthquake has exacerbated the humanitarian needs of the Haitian people. We are currently in the hurricane season and have been experiencing a number of storms which puts thousands of people who are now sleeping outside, at risk of rain, landslides, and other hazards.
He continues, “At Tearfund we have been supporting the work of RIHPED. This network sprang into action immediately, coordinating together and with local authorities to design an ‘Assess and Assist’ approach.[2] Through this emergency relief programme, RIHPED will conduct both quantitative and qualitative assessments, gathering data that will reveal the needs and preferences of the affected populations. This will help inform our programme design, distributions and recovery. Having such a diverse, prepared, and local network allows aid to get to the communities in an efficient and sustainable manner.”
In the initial stages of an Integral response, calls are held as frequently as necessary, so that Members can share information in the critical phase when needs are acute. The Integral online platform enables Members to share photos and stories, response plans and funding needs.
[1] International Health Partners (UK), Food for the Hungry (US & Canada), Medical Teams International (US). SEL France, Tearfund Belgium, Tearfund (Canada), Tearfund Netherland, Tearfund New Zealand, Tearfund (UK), World Concern (US) World Relief (US), World Renew (N. America), ZOA (Netherlands)
[2] Assess and Assist is an emergency response approach that allows the distribution of basic needs to families while conducting rapid assessments. These assessments give data on what needs there are and helps with the design of relevant and contextual programming.
Photo: ©2021 World Relief Haiti
Survivors view the wreckage of the Le Manguier Hotel
