Ship delivers life-saving aid to Haiti
Vital Plan aid arrives in the coastal town of Jacmel, Haiti
18 January 2010: A vital Plan shipment of 4,000 tents and more than 300 family survival kits has just docked at the Haitian coastal town of Jacmel.
Jacmel, 30 miles south west of the capital Port-au-Prince, has been devastated by the recent earthquake with 356 people reported to have been killed and 60% of buildings damaged or destroyed.
Staff from Plan, which has worked in Haiti for more than 30 years, have been assessing the immediate needs of the population, many of whom are still camping out in the streets.
Making a real difference
Plan spokesman Stuart Coles said the race was on to get aid to those most in need.
“As Jacmel is on the coast it is easier to get aid in than it is in Port-au-Prince. The quake has destroyed or damaged most buildings here but mercifully the death count is lower than it is in the capital,” he said.
“The equipment coming off the boat will make a real difference. There are tents, food, clean water and family packs. Those contain things such as soap, towels, cups, nappies and toilet paper.
Thousands of buildings have been destroyed by the earthquake
“It gets quite cold during the night here and many of the children are now developing coughs and respiratory problems.
"Diarrhoea is also becoming much more common. These seem simple ailments but can quickly become very serious in these situations."
Children especially vulnerable
Children are especially vulnerable after disasters of this magnitude;
in Haiti 1 in 5 children suffers stunted growth due to poor nutrition, so they are particularly vulnerable.
A 10-strong team of Plan aid workers conducted an assessment in 2 areas in Jacmel yesterday - Raquitte and Camp Siloé - focusing on shelter, water and sanitation, food security, health needs. Special attention is also being paid to child protection.
It is vital that youngest survivors of this tragedy have access to food, safe water, emergency health care, shelter and psycho-social support. Temporary schools are also likely to be needed in the medium-term.
Globally Plan has so far raised US$4,416, 574 for the emergency relief effort (this figure does not include US$50,000 pledged by USAID). But much more is needed.
