Update on Haiti Relief

Lucy Carrigan, a media relations officer with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, last week to document the IRC's work assisting Haitians whose lives were turned upside-down by the massive earthquake that struck in January. Here is some of what she saw:

Six months after the disaster, 1.5 million quake survivors are still living in crowded tent settlements around the city -- such as Teleco, which sprang up when families made homeless by the quake fashioned makeshift shelters in an old auto yard downtown.

Lucy had a chance to attend a workshop the IRC organized to help Teleco's Camp Security Committee draft a code of conduct for itself. The goal of this code is to make the whole camp feel safer. Lucy shared these photos from the session.

The IRC has also been distributing items to help make quake survivors safer in what can be poorly lit and dangerous conditions in these temporary tent settlements. Something as small as a flashlight or a whistle can make a big difference. (See photos here.)

Despite the struggles of life in quake-devastated Port-au-Prince, Haitians were captivated by the FIFA World Cup tournament as it played out this summer -- and they took time out to watch. (See photos 3 and 4 here.) Lucy had a chance to join the crowd watching the Cup semi-finals when they were screened at the National Stadium in Port-au-Prince.

The IRC and our partner FilmAid were showing short educational films before the games. The one that Lucy saw told the story of a woman who had lost her husband in the quake and was trying to prove to the bank that she was his wife so that she could gain access to his bank account. The film described legal services the IRC provides to help Haitians obtain personal documentation.

There were so many people watching the World Cup that it was a winning opportunity to reach quake survivors with information about services that can help them rebuild their lives.

IRC / FilmAid public service announcements are also shown at mobile film screenings at Camp Golf.

This time the PSAs aired before the feature film, Disney's "Up."

Lucy also visited Fond Jardin, a small, spontaneous settlement where residents are employed as part of the IRC's cash for work program. During the hurricane season, the biggest threat is flooding. Workers are digging drains and taking other flood prevention measures. (See photo 7 here.) Unfortunately, Fond Jardin is on private property and may have to move -- to where is not clear.

Among so much uncertainty and struggle, Lucy saw pockets of hope in Haiti, especially when she met several families that the IRC helped to reunite after months of separation in the aftermath of the earthquake.

One of those families comprised Ibola and her daughter, Lovely. Ibola believed that 12-year-old Lovely had been killed when the family's home collapsed in the quake. But the girl survived -- a policeman discovered her a day later, roaming the streets of Port-au-Prince. She was disoriented and in shock, unable to say anything but her first name: Lovely.

The policeman took Lovely to a nearby orphanage, where a visiting International Rescue Committee social worker, Etienne Guerline, added her name to a database the IRC created to help reconnect missing children with their families.

With nothing more than a photograph of Lovely in hand, and the few details the girl could provide, Etienne hit the streets -- looking for someone, anyone, who might recognize Lovely and help her find her family. Months later, Etienne's dedicated detective work paid off -- the week before Lucy arrived, Lovely and her overjoyed mother were reunited. (See photo 8 here.)

You will have the chance to learn more about the IRC's work in Haiti during our live webcast, Photos from the Field, on Thursday, July 22. Go behind the scenes of our lifesaving work on the ground in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas, and hear the stories behind the pictures. Register now.