2010 Haiti Earthquake Response

Food. Water. Shelter. Medical care. After the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, the IDRN responded by meeting humanity's most basic needs. The entire response initiative was a model of cooperation, and a testament to the power of interconnected agencies working together. The IDRN effort quite literally made the difference between life and death, and directly impact tens of thousands of people.

One of the IDRN coordination centers was in Carrefour, a poor community west of Port Au Prince that was receiving very little assistance of any kind. There were 20,000 people forced out of their homes, and they had no food, no water and were living in makeshift tents made out of bed sheets and old tarps.

Humanitarian International Services Group identified and obtained permission to use a partially finished children’s hospital as an operations center to meet the needs of these homeless families. Then two IDRN partners responded almost immediately to address the urgent need for clean water. Water Missions International installed two high-capacity water purification systems, and Texas Baptist Men assisted by repairing damage that had been done to the wells at the hospital.

Simultaneously, medical teams from International Medical Relief, AME - Brazil, and H.E.L.P. International were treating severe injuries and infections, both at the hospital and at another location in Port Au Prince. IMR and H.E.L.P. had nurses and surgeons ready for the first available flight into the capital, and were able to treat dozens of patients who had gone 11 days without any bandages, treatment, or even basic first aid. AME - Brazil was able to rotate teams and supplies into Haiti, treating and following up with patients for two months following the earthquake.

Next, IDRN volunteers set out to provide food for the thousands of people who were desperately hungry. Humanitarian International Services Group made the Columbian Red Cross aware of the situation at the hospital, and they provided food supplies, including baby food for small children, for the entire camp. Nearly three weeks after the earthquake, the camp finally received adequate food supplies. The delivery was met with loud cheers, grateful tears, and hundreds of people rushing out of their tents to say thank you.

Finally, Doctors Without Borders assisted by bringing in tarps for the entire camp. This met one of the last remaining urgent needs: shelter from the coming rainy season. Now 20,000 people who were neglected, hungry, and nearly hopeless, had food, water, and shelter. The International Disaster Response Network proved the value of their partnership. See the video below for the story of Water Missions International's involvement in Haiti.