A Critical Moment in Haiti

Among the ruins of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince every conceivable open space is jammed with people made homeless by the earthquake.

The IRC emergency response team is in Port-au-Prince helping provide clean water, sanitation support, and other essential services to these communities.

Watch and listen to more of the latest updates from Haiti:

* IRC director of humanitarian affairs Gerry Martone explains common myths about disaster relief.
* Sarah Smith, IRC director of children's programs, discusses how best to help Haiti's orphaned children.

* IRC director of emergency response Gillian Dunn on NPR describes last week's aftershock and the scene in Port-au-Prince.

As always happens in big disasters, the media are beginning to lose interest in the situation in Haiti. Yet the needs of the hundreds of thousands of injured and homeless survivors of the disastrous earthquake are still urgent.

The IRC is expecting to spend $15 million for Haiti relief and restoration in the coming months and we need your help.

The IRC is dedicated to staying the course in Haiti after the dust has settled, helping communities rebuild and protecting the rights of the most vulnerable. We have been leading post-crisis reconstruction efforts around the world for decades, and we stay on the ground for five, ten, or even 30 years to ensure that communities are fully recovered and able to thrive.

While the situation in Haiti is evolving, our plans for the next year include the following priorities:

Ensuring access to health care. When health systems and infrastructure are destroyed during a crisis, death rates from preventable disease dramatically increase. We are working with local organizations to ensure that Haitians get the lifesaving care they need - immediately and in the months and years to come.

Keeping children safe. With 95 percent of Port-au-Prince's schools destroyed and the remainder closed, children have little choice but to be out on the streets, where they are at risk of physical injury, disease, abuse, and exploitation. We are working with a local partner that operates more than 30 youth centers in Port-au-Prince. Our response will include establishing safe spaces for children and youth and reuniting separated children with family members or other caregivers.

Empowering women. Even before the earthquake, women and girls in Haiti faced discrimination, the menace of human trafficking, and the threat of sexual and physical violence. In the days ahead, the risks will likely increase. The IRC has a long history of safeguarding the rights and meeting the needs of women in post-disaster environments.

Our current budget estimate for the first year of operations is $15 million, although this figure may increase as conditions on the ground evolve.

We also anticipate that the IRC will remain in Haiti well beyond the initial 12 months.

This is a critical moment for the people of Haiti. Their journeys from harm to home have only just begun. Please make a generous lifesaving gift today.