Haiti earthquake: what aid agencies are doing

Survivors of Tuesday’s earthquake extend their arms as U.S. troops with the 82nd Airborne Division distribute water in Port-au-Prince, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. The troops gave out over 9,000 bottles of water and 2,000 meals Sunday. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

An estimated three million people – about a third of the population – need food, water and shelter. The disaster is estimated to have killed up to 200,000 people and left 1.5 million homeless.

According to the UN, more than 500 aid agencies are working with survivors, with about 150 flights a day landing at Port-au-Prince airport. The south pier at the seaport has been repaired and is now able to receive 350 container crates a day.

Aid being distributed by leading agencies:

World Food Programme

Delivered five million meals to more than 250,000 people. In the coming days, aims to deliver to 100,000 people a day five-day rations of high-energy biscuits, with rice, pulses, vegetable oil and salt.

British Red Cross

Nineteen emergency response units in place. Red Crescent distributed more than 1,175,000 litres of water. Six 10,000-litre bladder tanks in urban areas, and mobile water capacity reaching 200,000 people a day, increasing to 400,000. Health kits for 30,000 distributed. Red Cross providing shelter materials for 20,000 households, and plans distribution of aid kits to 60,000 families. More than 100 truckloads of meals are expected to arrive this weekend.

Unicef

Helped 250,000 people since 15 January. First consignment – 10,000 tarpaulins, 4,600 water containers, 5.5 million water purification tablets, 556,000 oral rehydration sachets, 21 GPS receivers, two portable warehouses, tents, trauma kits and water tanks – given to 10,000 families. Nutrition kits, mid-upper arm circumference tapes, weighing scales, health and medical kits, essential emergency medicines and family water kits being distributed.

Oxfam

Relief work aimed at 92,000 people is under way in seven camps, including providing water trucking, basic latrines and removing solid waste. Ninety tons of aid flown in. Plans to start cash-for-work programmes in five camps, paying people for clearing rubble and digging latrines.

Save the Children

Has warehouses in Léogâne, Jacmel and Port-au-Prince and hopes to meet needs of around 600,000 children and adults in coming weeks. Mosquito nets sourced from Thailand, tents from Pakistan, vehicles from Gibraltar and UK, shelter from Norway. Water tanks and flexible bladder tanks due for dispatch tomorrow, along with tap stands, and water treatment and testing equipment. Two mobile clinics in Léogâne treating 60 people a day. Three “child-friendly spaces” in Jacmel, with 15 planned for Port-au-Prince.

Merlin

Medical equipment, including two emergency health kits with equipment and drugs for 20,000 people for three months, has arrived. Anaesthetics, antiseptics, needles, syringes, weighing scales, IV solution and surgical gloves in the kits in use at Merlin’s medical unit in Delmas 33. Five kits, for 50,000 people for three months, and £100,000 worth of surgical equipment due to arrive in Port-au-Prince today. Two logisticians flying in from Gatwick tomorrow with 50 boxes of equipment and drugs for 50,000 people for three months and 70 air mattresses for hospital beds.

Cafod

Delivered food and medical supplies to 22,225 people and yesterday started distribution of 93 tons of food to 50,000 people at Pétionville Club, one of the largest camps in Port-au-Prince. Started operations at damaged Catholic hospital St Francis de Sales, fixed its X-ray machine, and set up a temporary clinic in Léogâne.

Care International

A five-year $40m (£25m) reconstruction programme will reach 250,000 people. Has already assisted 16,350 people in Léogâne, Carrefour and Pétionville. Five water bladders each provide clean water for 2,600 individuals a day and 3,000 people have received water purification packets.

The Salvation Army

Deployed International Response Team, which will receive 1.3 million ready meals and 3,000 tents on specially chartered aircraft. Clinic in Port-au-Prince seen more than 250 patients a day.

ActionAid

Since Thursday, food distributed to 9,000 people in Mariani district of Port-au-Prince. The 32.5 tons of rice, 45 tons of sugar, 75 tons of flour, half a ton of salmon, 62.5 tons of corn and 350 five-gallon jerry cans will last recipients for two weeks. Distribution of 20,000 water purification tablets.

ShelterBox

Sent 412 boxes (each supplying up to 10 people with a tent and life-saving equipment), 350 in use. Further 702 boxes and 100 tents flown in from Newquay, 256 boxes from Netherlands Antilles, 200 boxes from France via Dominican Republic, and 400 boxes from Miami are due for distribution.

Christian Aid

Work with local partners includes £50,000 funding for food, tents, hygiene kits, blankets, jerry cans for water and water purifiers for 3,000 people in Léogâne, 600 in Font National, and 400 in Canape Vert. Helping residents in Darbonne village to organise communal cooking system. Relief supplies worth £25,000 provided to 2,000 people in Carrefour Feuilles and clinic set up. Further £50,000 provided for medical equipment and supplies at tent hospitals.

Plan

Three hundred family kits in use in Jacmel. Each contains soap, towels, torch, batteries, candles, matches, two-litre plastic mug, small knife, nail clippers, plastic sheets, tarpaulin sheets, metal cups, plastic plates, 10-litre plastic jerry can, sanitary towels, women’s underwear, toilet paper, cookies, kilo of sugar, tea and coffee, sardines, beans, water purification tablets, four toothbrushes and toothpaste. By tomorrow, 5,800 family kits will be in Haiti.

Médecins sans Frontières

Eight hundred people working in Port-au-Prince and its suburbs. Doctors in Martissant treated 1,542 people. Carrefour Hospital treating 300 people per day. Chancerelle Hospital has two operating theatres dealing with burns and obstetrics.

Concern

Flying in 180 tons of aid. Operating one of five humanitarian response depots, shared with other charities, NGOs and UN in the Emirates.

World Vision

Flown in 24 metric tons of aid, adding to stocks of emergency items already in place in preparation for hurricane season. Created a temporary supply store in border town of Jimani.

Tearfund

Provided shelter for up to 3,000 people at its compound. It is working closely with six local partner agencies badly affected by the quake and funding money through a country representative.

source for information: various UK news agencies and blogs