The news was devastating; the images, indelible. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the island nation of Haiti the afternoon of January 12, 2010, the worst in more than 200 years, killed approximately 316,000 people, brought countless buildings to the ground in a matter of seconds, and forever changed the lives of millions.

Just as the tragedy was overwhelming, so was the response. Thanks to generous supporters, LWR raised more than $7 million for an immediate and long-term response. In the days and weeks immediately following the earthquake, that generosity provided much-needed food, water and shelter. Two years later, it is helping lay the groundwork for a brighter future.

The road ahead is long. As Haiti continues to struggle toward recovery, challenges persist. With each hurricane season, the severe storms that frequent the region threaten to exacerbate the devastation left by the earthquake. Meanwhile the cholera epidemic that began to spread shortly after the earthquake has slowed, but continues to affect tens of thousands of people as health workers continue to focus on prevention and treatment strategies.

Photo By: Andres Martinez Casares for LWR

In the aftermath of the earthquake, LWR provided:

• 25,545 quilts, giving warmth to those forced to sleep outdoors;
• 77,585 health kits, to help people living in desperate conditions maintain basic hygiene;
• 1,500 layettes, to help new parents care for their infants;
• 35,700 school kits, to help displaced children learn;
• 40 large tents, to set up temporary schools;
• 17,500 tarps, to provide temporary shelter for 9,000 displaced families; and
  
• $1.1 million to local partners to provide food, water, sanitation services and shelter.

With experience and expertise in rural development, LWR focused its program interventions on the many rural communities that took in the approximately 600,000 people who fled the capital city of Port-au-Prince after the quake.

Fair Trade Handcrafts Featuring Haitian Artists

Working with local partners, LWR

• Provided health and hygiene training for 10,253 people;
• Facilitated access to water and sanitation facilities for hundreds of people in Port-au-Prince and surrounding communities;
• Built 253 collective and family latrines to serve thousands of families;
• Assisted approximately 10,000 people through cash-for-work programs that repaired roads, improved farms and built latrines and community water filters;
• Provided seeds and tools to thousands of farmers to ensure an adequate food supply;
• Stocked community stores in 12 rural communities to provide basic necessities at subsidized prices;
• Strengthened the capacity of artisans through workshops focused on teaching new production techniques and marketing skills; and
• Supported sustainable programs that increased the agricultural production of 3,500 farmers by 75% and tripled the food security of 3,500 families.
  

Shortly after the earthquake an outbreak of cholera, a potentially fatal intestinal infection, began spreading rapidly through Haiti, making already difficult conditions even worse. Working with local partners and in coordination with the Ministry of Health, LWR responded in five Departments (Artibonite, Northwest, North, Southeast and South) by

• Procuring and distributing medical supplies to health facilities (public and private hospitals as well as local health centers that have been set up to respond to the cholera epidemic);
  
• Distributing water filters to schools; and
  
• Distributing oral rehydration salts, soap, and water treatment tablets to vulnerable populations in rural communities.