Updates from Haiti
 
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by Staff Writer |
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January 28, 2010
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As of today, the American Red Cross has spent or committed more than $67 million to meet the most urgent needs of earthquake survivors in Haiti, with $30 million going to the World Food Program, which will feed up to 1 million people in Haiti for a month.To meet urgent needs, 79 percent of the funds spent or committed have been for food and water; 18 percent have been for shelter; and the rest have been for health and family services.
During this emergency phase of the relief operation, the American Red Cross is focusing its resources on in several areas:
- Pre-packaged meals and funding for World Food Program efforts;
- Supplies and funding needed to provide clean drinking water;
- Shelter items such as blankets, tarps, sleeping mats and tents; and
- Health needs of Haitian survivors as well as support to Haitian families in Haiti and the US. This includes providing relief supplies, shipment of blood products, family linking services and providing Red Cross volunteers to the USNS Comfort.
Red Cross relief supplies continue to arrive, and, although significant bottlenecks remain, aid is reaching the survivors in the capital city and outlying areas.
- So far, more than 43 flights carrying Red Cross aid have arrived in Haiti. Additional planes, ships and trucks carrying Red Cross humanitarian assistance are en route.
- Approximately 3 million pre-packaged meals from the American Red Cross have left Miami via ship and will arrive later this week in Haiti.
- Shelter remains an urgent need on the ground. The Red Cross is working to provide a range of assistance, including relief items like family-sized tents and kits with tarps, ropes and tools to construct shelter. At the same time, we are assessing needs and developing a strategy to meet long-term housing reconstruction needs.
- The American Red Cross and its partners are distributing other relief items, such as hygiene kits, blankets and water containers, for more than 1,000 families (5,000 people) each day – with plans to increase this number daily.
The American Red Cross is in Haiti as a part of the broader and coordinated Red Cross and Red Crescent network.
- Two weeks after the earthquake struck, more than 500 Red Cross and Red Crescent workers from around the world are in Haiti supporting thousands of local Red Cross volunteers. Of that, more than 100 are representing the American Red Cross (including the Creole interpreters on the USNS Comfort).
- Each Red Cross team has its own roles and expertise, and we’re all working together. That is a very powerful engine for relief and recovery.
- For example, Red Cross responders are purifying the water supply available in country and are delivering 500,000 liters each day – enough for more than 33,000 people. So far, more than 2.5 million liters of water have been distributed throughout 68 camps in Port-au-Prince.
- Other responders from eight countries are treating approximately 500 people each day at medical facilities throughout the capital city. This number will rise to 700-800 people as a new field hospital begins operations, which is expected today.
- Emergency health kits for 30,000 people have also been distributed across the capital city by Haitian Red Cross volunteers.
- Local volunteers are providing first aid support as well as emotional support for traumatized survivors. A special area has been established at each medical center where volunteers are comforting children.
- This is already the largest single-country relief operation in global Red Cross history in terms of emergency relief teams deployed.
Because of the generosity of donors, people in Haiti will receive more than immediate relief — they will receive resources, support and training from the Red Cross that will help them recover and rebuild for years to come.
- It is also clear that what took minutes to destroy will take many years and the collective support from governments and relief agencies across the world to help mend. The American Red Cross is closely working with other responding organizations and will undoubtedly
 collaborate on and support long-term recovery projects.
- People can donate in support of the relief effort in Haiti at www.redcross.org or by calling 1-800-REDCROSS. Mobile donors can text “Haiti” to 90999 to make a $10 contribution.
- A $10 donation made through mobile giving can provide a family with two water cans to store clean drinking water, basic first aid supplies or a blanket appropriate to the climate.
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