IRC's Haiti Relief Efforts Continue

The IRC emergency response team is on the ground in Haiti and is leading our efforts to rescue lives in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake.

The scale of destruction in Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince is enormous. Buildings have been leveled and those that remain standing are largely uninhabitable. Thousands of families have gathered in makeshift tents using nothing more than bed sheets and rope. Sanitation is already a major challenge.

IRC Team leader Gillian Dunn reports, "People are gathering in any public space, including parks and the sides of roads. At dusk, families place cinder blocks in the road to prevent traffic from coming through. Then they lay their bed sheets down so they can sleep."

Basic needs such as fresh water, medical care, and sanitation remain an urgent priority, and the IRC team is helping rush these necessities to the earthquake victims. But our focus, even in these early days, is on the long-term needs of the Haitian people as they work to rebuild their country and their lives.

We are giving particular attention to two urgent areas in which we have considerable expertise: first, protecting children and providing safe spaces amidst the continuing chaos; and second, addressing the sexual violence and other security issues certain to be exacerbated by the disaster.

In the coming days we will know more about the ways that the IRC can make the greatest positive impact in Haiti. We will draw on deep and longstanding relationships with Haitian refugees resettled by the IRC over the past five decades. These contacts will help us identify and develop strong partnerships with local organizations in Haiti. As is our practice, we will build local capacity and community participation, ensuring that our impact will have lasting value even after the IRC departs.

We are very grateful for your support of our work and we will keep you apprised of our progress in the long days and weeks ahead.