Immediately after the earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, Plan International began to act. There are already funds available for the emergency and appeals for contributions at the international level.
According to what was informed by the director of Plan Haiti, Rezene Tesfamariam, the team in the country, composed of 143 staff, is safe and working in the the areas of Beudet , Cayes-Jacmel , Croix-des-Bouquets , Dolney , Fort-Liberté , Frères , Jacmel , Lavallée , Ouanaminthe , and Trou-du-Nord, many of which are devastated just like the capital of the country, Port-au-Prince.
Plan's Regional Office for the Americas, headquartered in Panama City, is helping with the emergency response, sending staff to Haiti that will assist in the relief effort, in coordination with the United Nations system and civil society organizations. Experts in health, sanitation and psychological support in disasters will also make up the team of professionals that Plan's office in the Dominican Republic and the international headquarters in UK will be sending. At the same time, coordination systems for the protection and safety of children have been activated.
Communications with Haiti continue being limited given the 7.2 magnitude earthquake has destroyed Port-au-Prince and other locations on the Western coast of the country.
However, it is known that Plan's office in the capital is one of the few that did not collapse, which will help mitigate the lack of infrastructure necessary for coordination in the field.
Plan is one of the civil organizations with the largest presence in Haiti, with operations since 1973 and more than 42,000 sponsored children, as well as their families and communities who make up part of the millions of Haitians that have been affected by the earthquake, the most powerful that has struck there in the last 200 years.
For request, please contact.
Marcelo Avilés
Regional Communication Manager
Plan Regional Office for the Americas
Marcelo.aviles@plan-international.org
Cell phone: (507) 66770944