The devastating earthquake in Haiti prompted donations and support from hundreds of thousands of people across the UK. ActionAid supporters were incredibly generous, helping us act as soon as disaster struck.

What has ActionAid done in Haiti so far?

Over the past five months we have provided food, shelter and support to 20,000 survivors in camps in Mariani, Philippeau and Jacmel, including healthcare, hygiene kits, blankets, kitchen equipment, tarpaulin sheets and clothing.

By the three-month anniversary we had distributed food to nearly 6,000 families, non-food essentials to more than 1,000 families, and nearly 3,000 kits for infants (including nappies).

More than 1,300 people have received basic health services through a link up with Cuban-trained doctors and 12,000 people are being provided with emotional care through 28 ActionAid–trained community volunteers. Five community centres have been set up, running psychosocial activities including sports, drawing contests, theatre and movie nights and dancing.

In Phillipeaux we helped reopen the community school, which will be temporarily housed in a series of tents as it is safer for children to study under tarpaulin than in a permanent building.

New challenges and a need for consultation

Although the government recently identified a large piece of land north of the capital as a relocation site for 250,000 homeless people, ActionAid Haiti’s Country Director Jean Claude Fignolé says many are unable or unwilling to move, as the site is far from where they have started to re-establish their lives. ActionAid is working to help the relocation effort, but is concerned that the voices of those made homeless are being ignored.

“The government has not taken people’s needs into account in its relocation plans,” said Jean Claude. “The government should identify smaller sites in different locations around the city that are appropriate for the homeless.”

ActionAid Haiti has also been vocal about the exclusion of ordinary Haitians from decisions made by government and donors on how best to rebuild their country. Myra de Bruijn, ActionAid Haiti’s Programme and

Policy Manager, said: “The process of drawing up the [recovery] plan was not transparent and did not involve consultation with ordinary people. ActionAid is concerned about the sustainability of such a long-term strategy that is not carried out by and for the Haitian people.”

We have called on the Haitian government and international donors to make sure there is a full partnership with local organisations and agencies in developing the plan, as well as how it is monitored. This includes translating everything into local languages, and a transparent and inclusive decision-making process.

What are our current priorities?

The Haitian government gave a cut-off date of March 31 for aid agencies to stop distributing food to survivors. ActionAid Haiti worked hard to finish by this date, running two or three distributions a week to reach as many people as possible. At the government’s request we are now running cash-for-work schemes, where survivors are paid for work such as removing rubble or preparing land for cultivation.

“When food is handed out we have procedures for ensuring that the most vulnerable and needy are first in line,” says ActionAid Haiti’s Johanne Landrin. “It’s true that this is much harder with cash or food-for-work programmes, but ActionAid has solid procedures to make sure the most vulnerable people will be chosen first.

“We have trained community volunteers and facilitators on livelihood programmes that will eventually target over 4,000 families. As well as cash-for-work, ActionAid will be buying tools and equipment, making seed and grain banks and helping farmers grow crops.”

What else are we planning to do?

We have committed to a three year response and rehabilitation plan in Haiti.

In the next few months we will be shifting our focus from emergency relief to longer-term projects, such as getting people back to work and education. We also plan to build a number of transitional shelters to get people out of tents. 

We are working to ensure that Haitian people have a voice in the reconstruction of their country and that aid is delivered in the most democratic and accountable way.

Your help

UK supporters have been extremely generous with their time and money in support of Haiti (see page 26 for more). Our appeal raised an unprecedented £850,000, and we received thousands of messages of support, many of which were delivered directly to children in Haiti when our UK director Richard Miller visited in May.  

Thousands of you held fundraising events and collections, helping us respond quickly and effectively in the aftermath of the earthquake. We also had many requests from new sponsors willing to support children, linking 166 children with new UK sponsors, while existing sponsors showed their support by increasing their level of commitment.

We wish to say a sincere thank you to everyone who supported us and the people of Haiti after the earthquake. Each and every one of you made a real difference to our work.

Sponsor a child and bring hope to a community in Haiti.