Haiti

Planning for the future

^{© William Daniels/Handicap International}

More than two years on from the earthquake which hit the country on 12th January 2010, Handicap International is continuing its actions to support the victims.

Handicap International has been working in the country since the island was hit by four hurricanes in August and September 2008.

On 12th January 2010, a violent earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale struck Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The UN entrusted Handicap International with jointly coordinating all activity in Haiti concerning the rehabilitation of injured persons, the fitting of orthopaedic devices and the provision of assistance to people with disabilities.

We are working on three main areas: health and protection, meeting basic needs, and humanitarian logistics. Our goal is to ensure that the most vulnerable people, particularly amputees, have access to a complete range of services and benefit from aid specific to their needs. Two years on, our team in Haiti is continuing its work in support of disabled and vulnerable people, and planning for the future.

For more detailed information about our activities in Haiti, please visit our Haiti earthquake page.

Key Facts - Haiti

• Population: 10.2 million
• Household Consumption: $888 per year
• Life Expectancy: 62 years
• Human Development: ranked 145th out of 169 countries
_{Source: UNDP HDR 2011}

Stories from the field

Film: Haiti, one year after

This film tells how Handicap International is helping people rebuild their lives following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th 2010.

Slideshow: Haiti - one year on

One year after Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake on 12th January 2010, our team is continuing to support the country’s most vulnerable people.

Our projects

	Distribution of humanitarian aid • Distributing emergency kits for displaced people(while facilitating access to aid for people with disabilities and the vulnerable. (Completed August 2010) • Setting up temporary shelters taking into account the specific needs of people with disabilities and the vulnerable.
	Humanitarian logistics in partnership with the WFP. (Completed March 2011) • Transporting humanitarian aid for the inter-agency logistics platform of the World Food Programme, managing a fleet of 70 all purpose heavy trucks. Since 14th January, 20,000 tonnes of aid (food, water, equipment) have been transported for around 100 organisations, including fifteen Haitian organisations. • 20 lorries from the Clinton Foundation were added to the fleet. These larger-capacity lorries (8 tonne payloads) have been primarily serving urban areas.
	Health • Assisting people with injuries and disabilities in hospitals and communities (injury care, hospital referrals, post-operative follow-up, rehabilitation, follow-up in communities and camps; training community workers and rehabilitation technicians to perform these activities). • Distributing orthopaedic devices, mobility aids and equipment to injured people. • Psychosocial support: individual support and discussion groups for traumatised victims. • Fitting temporary orthopaedic devices for amputees : Since January 2010, Handicap International has fitted 426 emergency prostheses and 465 orthoses (splints, corsets, etc.). • Providing healthcare, limb-fitting and rehabilitation services to disabled people at a centre in Sarthe.
	Workshop for temporary prostheses A workshop fitting amputees with prosthetic limbs was set up in Sarthe. Activities include supplying temporary prosthetic and orthotic devices, providing care before and after the fitting process and setting up the Sarthe “village”. This “village” can host around ten amputees during the fitting process, enabling these people to meet, share experiences and face difficulties together. Sports and leisure activities are organised and people are prepared to the return to their communities.
	Centre for rehabilitation and post-operative care in Sarthe This centre provides vital healthcare on a regular basis to patients following an operation. Activities include setting up a prosthetics and orthotics workshop and a rehabilitation service, providing follow-up care for patients, and training and strengthening the capacity of the health staff.