Photo: 2010 Evelyn Hockstein/CARE

 

As of Sunday, January 24th, CARE had reached nearly 31,000 survivors of the Haitian earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Pétiton-ville, Léogâne, Carrefour and Jeremie.  CARE staff have successfully distributed food, water purification packets, jerry cans, hygiene kits, mattresses, and blankets. CARE has also ensured an estimated 7,600 living in makeshift camps in Pétiton-ville and Léogâne have access to clean water.  In the coming week, team members plan to continue these efforts and will also begin dispensing high-energy food, tents, and first aid kits. 

 

Haiti's government has declared the search and rescue phase of the disaster relief over and on Sunday, estimated the earthquake’s death toll at 112,250 dead with another 194,000 injured. Since tragedy struck, CARE has targeted two of Haiti’s affected areas: Léogâne and Pétion-ville.  The Haitian government has encouraged survivors to leave Port-au-Prince. CARE sub-offices report that at least 2,000 people have arrived Jéremie and another 6,000 in Grand Anse.   

 

 

One of CARE’s team members recently offered a description of the bleak living conditions facing those displaced by the earthquake: “Shelter is makeshift. A subject of common prayer: "We hope that rain does not fall!" The big majority of the shelters set up so far assure essentially a symbolic role of limitation of territory guaranteeing a minimum of security and of intimacy. That means that the existing shelters do not protect against anything at all, if that would be wind, sun, cold, heat and even less against rain.”

 

-May Yu, Citizen Effect Project Manager