Plan responds to Haiti earthquake disaster

Plan, which has been in the country since 1973, is working closely with government, emergency services and other organisations to respond to the immediate needs of children in the region and to assess the situation. Plan staff reported severe damage in Jacmel and Croix-des-Bouquets, two of the areas where it operates. Plan is appealing for funds to help protect children and provide the help and support they will need.

As one of the leading children’s organisations in the country, Plan focuses on 4 core areas:

• quality education for children and training for teachers and headmasters.
• healthcare and basic nutrition.
• household and economic security.
• children, youth and community leadership activities.

Specialist staff response

Right now, extra Plan disaster response specialists are arriving in Haiti. So far, it has been reported that up to 3,000,000 people have been affected by the earthquake.

 “The situation is terrible, people are screaming and there is a total darkness around the city,” one Plan staff member said, also adding that the Plan Haiti central office in Port-au-Prince was among those badly damaged by the earthquake and is now unsafe.

Away from the central urban area of Port-au-Prince, Plan staff reported severe damage in Jacmel and Croix-des-Bouquets, two of the areas where they operate. A tsunami alert was issued for Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba in the wake of the earthquake but was recalled shortly thereafter. According to Plan staff there was some panic when the ocean pulled back, but for now it has returned to normal.

Assisting children and families

Roger Yates, Plan Director of disasters and humanitarian response, said: “Of all the countries in the region, Haiti is the most vulnerable…our experience from other earthquakes is that the impact upon Haiti’s fragile infrastructure will be severely felt for some time to come. Our priority is assisting children and their families and getting people at risk into safe accommodation wherever possible.”

Plan will also be working to help ease the psychological trauma caused by the disaster, as well as ensuring that children are protected throughout the recovery effort.

 “Plan will focus on water, medical care, sanitation, shelter and work to protect children, who are particularly vulnerable in times of emergency. We will be there to provide urgent relief, but also to support children and families in the recovery and rebuilding stage,’ emphasizes Deepali Sood, head of EU Liaison office.

For more information please contact Plan EU communication & advocacy officer sabine.terlecki@plan-international.org

Read more about Plan's programme work in Haiti

About Haiti

• Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
• Roughly two-thirds of the population is unemployed, and 80 percent lives below the poverty line.
• Plan has worked in Haiti since 1973, our staff live and work in the communities that have been affected by the earthquake.
• And additional team of emergency experts has been sent from other Plan countries to support the staff already on the ground. This team includes experts in water and sanitation, earthquake relief, and psycological support, as well as staff to coordinate operations with other organizations.
• Plan's main focus will be to help children and families by providing water and sanitation, food, medical care, shelter and child protection.