A hotel owner and friend, stand in front of the now crumbled hotel building, several people inside died or suffered severe injury. Haiti Photo: Makayla Palazzo / Concern Worldwide

In pictures: Our response to the Haiti earthquake

Story30 September 2021Lucy Bloxham

On August 14, an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude struck Haiti, leaving over 2,200 dead, 12,000 injured and over 650,000 people in need of humanitarian aid. Concern is responding to the acute needs in the southwestern peninsula of Haiti.

We ramped up our aid distribution operations to reach the thousands of people left homeless.

In pictures, here is our response.

Preparing to respond

Concern has been working in Haiti since 1994. Shortly after the earthquake hit, we were ready to respond.

“Teams are on the ground assessing the immediate needs of local communities and Concern is ready to respond where needed,” Concern’s Country Director in Haiti Kwanli Kladstrup said. “We have supplies and vital materials hygiene kits, comprising of a bucket, bathing and laundry soap, towel, toothpaste and tooth brush and other essential items.”

A Concern Worldwide focus group discussion in Camperin in response to the Haiti earthquake. Photo: Concern Worldwide

Concern team preapre to leave for Les Cayes, where there will assess the supports needed following the earthquake. Haiti Photo: Makayla Palazzo

Concern team prepare to leave for Les Cayes, where there will assess the supports needed following the earthquake. Haiti Photo: Makayla Palazzo

Concern staff observing a fallen building that housed a pharmacy and two apartments. Photo: Makayla Palazzo

Distribution of shelter and hygiene kits

One element of our response activities included the distribution of 2,000 hygiene kits. We also supported our partners, including Habitat for Humanity, to deliver hygiene and shelter kits.

Habitat for Humanity and Concern teams in Haiti distribute essential hygiene kits to families whose homes and belongings were destroyed or badly damaged in the Haiti Earthquake. Photo: Isabelle Vasquez/Habitat for Humanity

Shelter kids include basic shelter repair and construction materials (such as plastic sheets, nails, sticks and rope) for families to be able to repair or construct decent, appropriate, and habitable shelter.

Shelter repair guidance and training is also provided to increase participants’ basic knowledge in appropriate, safe and habitable shelter construction practices.

Other essential item kits include items such as blankets, cups, jerry cans, and spoons.

Cash transfers

We also provided cash transfers to 1,000 households. Here, the Concern emergency team successfully begin the first steps of our cash distributions in response to the Haiti earthquake. Hats off to the team, who have been working nonstop to get aid to the people who need it.

The Concern emergency team successfully begin the first steps of our cash distributions. Photo: Makayla Palazzo/Concern Worldwide

A mass media campaign via SMS on safe behaviour to conduct during aftershocks will also be launched. 40,000 SMS messages will be sent to affected populations using a telecommunications platform. These SMS messages will contain Department of Civil Protection-approved messages on best practices in the event of an aftershock, flooding, or other natural disasters.

Much of our response is taking place through our existing consortium with Christian Aid and Habitat for Humanity, local partners, and the Alliance2015.

Thank you to all our local partners and those who supported our appeal. We could not have done this without you.