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Haiti

Food for the Hungry shifts to emergency support in Haiti following 7.2 magnitude earthquake

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Port au Prince, Haiti (August 27, 2021) – International humanitarian organization Food for the Hungry (FH), is participating in a rapid needs assessment in Haiti, following the earthquake that left 2,200 people dead and more than 12,000 injured on Saturday, August 14. FH is currently focusing on providing emergency relief to 14 of the hardest hit communities in the Sud (South) department, west of Les Cayes.

One of the highest needs consistently identified by victims during the assessments is access to clean water. The earthquake severely damaged or destroyed many community water systems and individual wells. The only available remaining water sources are highly contaminated surface waters, which are full of parasites and bacteria. The impacts were especially devastating at health centers and schools. FH’s top priority is to work with communities and partners like Water Mission, a non-profit engineering organization, to get the systems flowing again and remove contamination using community-level water treatment systems.

In addition to clean water, FH is focused on providing emergency shelter supplies, cash transfers, hygiene kits, and feminine hygiene ‘dignity kits.’ The hygiene kits include soap, towels, and dental hygiene items along with COVID-19 prevention items. The organization has plans to disseminate critical health and hygiene messaging via community meetings and mass communication.

FH has been working in poverty reduction and disaster relief in Haiti since 2008. With existing teams on the ground the organization was able to mobilize relief efforts immediately following the earthquake. To support FH’s efforts in Haiti, visit fh.org/emergency/emergency-haiti-earthquake.

Media Contact Yulu Public Relations fh@yulupr.com