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Earthquake strikes Haiti
 Your help is needed today!
How you can help
Help continues to be needed for the millions affected by the earthquake in Haiti, especially for the most vulnerable - women and girls. It is estimated that 200,000 people have perished, and more are at risk.
As a member of the HUMANITARIAN COALITION, CARE is making an urgent appeal to Canadians. Donate to the HUMANITARIAN COALITION or CARE Canada to help the people of Haiti!
Get our latest news from Haiti
How your donations have empowered us to help so far:
 Devastation from the earthquake in Haiti was massive. But so was the outpouring of public support for relief and recovery efforts. As a result, aid got through and made a real difference in the lives of survivors, including the women and girls targeted by our response.
As of June 16th, we have reached more than 290,000 earthquake survivors with food, kitchen sets, water purification packets, jerry cans for water, hygiene kits, shelter kits, mattresses, blankets, clean delivery kits and newborn kits.
Of immediate concern is a hurricane season predicted to be more active and more dangerous than usual. That’s why we are importing emergency materials to repair damaged homes and to make 20,000 shelter reinforcement kits for families. CARE also continues to construct 25 to 30 transitional shelters per week, giving widows, women-headed households and other survivors a safe, secure place to rebuild their lives.
We have conducted community-training activities at 14 different sites in Carrefour and Léogâne, covering topics such as gender-based violence, sexually transmitted diseases, HIV-AIDS, and family planning. In addition, CARE is identifying medical centers in Léogâne for referring victims of gender-based violence, pregnant women and people needing reproductive health counseling, and centers in Carrefour and Léogâne in which CARE will provide health staff training on gender-based violence, particularly rape, and psychosocial support. We’re opening more than 20 women's centers that will serve more than 40,000 women and girls.
Through cash-for-work programs, we have assisted 1,885 people, nearly half of them women. We are promoting gardening to improve families’ access to fresh food. Spinach and okra seeds have been distributed to 1,575 families.
We’re providing water, building latrines and showers, and organizing citizens to promote good hygiene. Since the earthquake, we have built 800 latrines and 140 showers serving 106,000 people in Léogâne and Carrefour. We’re bringing clean drinking water to 45,000 people.
Our long-term plan for Haiti
In emergencies like the one in Haiti, CARE looks at providing not just immediate relief, but also a supporting hand in long-term rebuilding of lives and livelihoods. CARE is already working on a long-term plan for helping Haitians rebuild their country.
First phase
CARE will continue its distributions of water, food, non-food items and temporary shelters as it moves the second phase where we will support the people who have lost their homes and who have been displaced throughout the country, and support schools and health clinics with basic supplies to resume activities.
CARE will be ensuring that special attention is given to protect women and girls from gender based violence, which sadly often increases with the social disruption cause by disasters of this magnitude. We’re also ensuring that our work includes measures to help empower women and girls from the beginning of the process. When women and girls are empowered both economically and socially, communities prosper. When communities prosper, they are more resilient to disaster and emergencies as they have a better ability to cope in the aftermath. So this empowerment is key to minimizing the effects of future emergencies.
Second phase
To help rebuild livelihoods, during the second phase we will create economic opportunities for the most vulnerable through targeted cash and food for work programs.
CARE will also focus on supporting communities outside of the immediate earthquake zone. Many Haitians from within the earthquake zone have fled to these communities, which will put a long term strain on resources in those areas.
Check back daily for more information on the situation in Haiti or read blogs from our emergency team.
Audio blogs from Haiti
Our history in Haiti
CARE began working in Haiti in 1954 to provide relief assistance after Hurricane Hazel.
Help us save live in Haiti right now. Please donate to the HUMANITARIAN COALITION or to CARE Canada to help the people of Haiti!
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