Food For The Hungry (SHELTER/EDUCATION CLUSTER) - 2010 Haiti Earthquake (DIST: FOOD)

FROM THE SITE:
Shelter is Top Priority as Haiti’s Rainy Season Nears

The establishment of temporary shelter in earthquake-affected communities remains a high priority for Food for the Hungry (FH), as the rainy season nears. Without adequate shelter, rain brings significant risks for the spread of diseases, especially among children.

Additionally, the United Nations reports that 18,000 latrines are currently needed in Port au Prince to support 900,000 people. FH is ramping up efforts to meet latrine and other sanitation needs to mitigate the spread of disease in target communities.

The communities of focus for FH's relief work are: Bellevue La Montagne, Siloe, Kenscoff and Aux Cadets. There are more than 50,000 displaced people in these communities, and more than 120,000 people are affected.

A primary goal of FH's relief work is to enable affected people to remain in their home communities as they recover from this disaster. In addition to temporary shelter and sanitation, FH efforts are focused on clean water, rubble removal, reestablishment of medical clinics and distribution of food and supplies.

FH is putting top priority on creation of "child-friendly spaces" in target communities to serve at-risk children. These spaces are designed to provide safe, structured areas for play, learning and trauma therapy.

The next six months are focused to lay the foundation for Food for the Hungry's long-term rebuilding and rehabilitation efforts in Haiti.

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Food for the Hungry (FH) staff have selected two communities that were highly affected by the earthquake where they will focus their relief responses -the Bellevue La Montagne Zone where 90,000 individuals live and Siloe Region (between Delmas 22 and 75) where 20,000 individuals live. Staff members are conducting an assessment in these targeted communities today to determine the greatest area of need. FH has partnered with Samaritan’s Purse to bring in some GIK provisions, which include water, community water filters, jerry cans, hygiene kits, and water purification kits. There may be a possible partnership with Global Aid Network to bring in a shipment of water purification units. FH is also in touch with its Global Relief Alliance (GRA) partners: CRWRC, World Relief, World Concern, MAP, and MTI as well as others to see if a coordinated response is appropriate.

FH is interested in hearing about other organizations doing relief WASH activities in the same communities. Please contact Julie Hettinger at jhettinger @fh.org or the FH emergency staff on the ground directly - Sara Sywulka ( ssywulka @fh.org ) and Leena Samuel ( lsamuel @fh.org ).

To read a daily blog by Tom Davis, FH's Director of Health Programs, in Haiti please go to http://fhrelief.wordpress.com.

Donations: http://www.fh.org/learn/news/disaster/haiti-rocked-by-powerful-quake?promocode=WA25WD0A2