By Jennifer Jones | Vice President of Advancement
Click here to read our newly released 2023 Annual Report.
HRI is responding to a massive humanitarian crisis in Haiti. The scale of unrest, violence and massive internal displacement we are witnessing in Haiti, particularly in the capital city of Port Au Prince (PAP), is unprecedented. The resulting misery is indescribable. Gang violence killed at least 2,500 people in the first three months of 2024 alone. Displacement has soared by 60% since March to nearly 580,000 people.
Most organizations have paused activities in PAP over the past year due to the high degree of insecurity and risk. However, HRI ramped up our support for the victims of this needless violence, in addition to our ongoing, increasingly critical work to ensure children living in orphanages have sufficient food, water, medical care and hand-washing stations.
WHAT HRI IS DOING TO SUPPORT VICTIMS:
HRI is partnering with one of the few operational hospitals that is severely understaffed due to the current situation. We also reinitiated the provision of direct treatment and support via mobile health clinics. This is particularly dangerous, but desperately needed.
Our physician, nurse, social worker, and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) specialist are working in four campsites for displaced persons. Our physician and nurse are working directly with patients suffering from injuries related to the violence. Our social worker is working with women and children to help them cope with the trauma they have witnessed and survived.
Our WASH expert and other team members are saving lives by repairing toilets, installing massive water tanks, and providing regular water distributions. HRI has provided more than 1.6 millions gallons of water to date. They have also distributed many handwashing stations and are leading trainings on how to avoid illnesses, particularly cholera, during these times of great shortages of food and water.
Our team remains vigilant, as we continue to respond to the greatest needs despite the risks and crises we face. Sadly, communication is unreliable as many lines have been cut, but our staff are troopers! They are working in the field and at the office in spite of the fact that the population has been told to shelter in place.
HRI's WORK WITH CHILDREN IN ORPHANAGES
We are in daily contact with all 13 orphanages we support, whenever phone lines are accessible. We have been successfully ensuring no child goes without food or clean water, although even this is becoming more and more challenging with the shortages of food and water. We also expanded our psychosocial support program to counsel the children and advise the staff on how to protect their mental health during this time. And we are ensuring every orphanage has a few operational handwashing stations at all times.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
PRAY: For an end to the violence. For sustainable solutions. For the safety of our team and those we serve.
GIVE: We desperately need to increase the amount of water and medical supplies at the four campsites for displaced persons. We also need to provide additional food, water and fuel used for cooking provided to nearly 500 orphans in 13 orphanages in case the city runs out completely.
Please join us as we continue to respond to help the children and women most in need!
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