ADRA-UK News Update

As small glimpses of normalcy begin to appear in Haiti’s capital of Port-au- Prince just one month after a devastating earthquake wrecked the city and killed more than 200,000 people, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is looking at the work that will need to take place to bring short and long-term stability to the country.

“For the rebuilding of Haiti to be successful, it is vital that humanitarian organizations such as ADRA commit to being a part of that process for years to come,” says Wally Amudson, director of ADRA’s Emergency Response Center in Haiti. “The Haitian people are resilient, and we will stand with them, providing tangible support as they begin rebuilding their lives.”

Due to the nature of the Haiti quake, which caused massive urban displacement, ADRA expects to focus at first on providing more durable shelters to thousands of people in an effort to establish an increased sense of stability among displaced populations. In addition, ADRA will work to diminish vulnerability through the continued implementation of water and sanitation activities, including the building of latrines and the provision of clean drinking water, and the distribution of household items, such as cooking equipment, mattress pads, jerry cans, and tools.

ADRA’s continued efforts to create sustainable development to Haiti follow the experiences of working with communities in other parts of the world after large-scale disasters.

For several years after the 2004 Asian tsunami destroyed many coastal areas in the Indian Ocean, ADRA partnered with local communities in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia to create new housing, water sources, income generation programs, and, in some instances, tsunami warning infrastructure. In Myanmar, after Cyclone Nargis leveled much of the Irrawaddy Delta in May 2008, ADRA began to implement projects to restore water catchment systems, housing, roads and local infrastructure, and health services in the areas worst affected.

In the following months, as the short-term initial response begins to shift toward long-term development, ADRA will continue to extend the basic services and aid that thousands of displaced survivors need. This will be crucial during the process of bridging the current emergency situation with the extended development programs that will need to happen in the future, the agency says.

To date, ADRA has distributed more than 300 tones of food, providing some 1.6 million meals. At a camp for displaced persons camp where more than 15,000 people are staying in Port-au-Prince, clean water is available through a system that provides clean water for more than 35,000 people a day. This is in addition to medical care provided at two inflatable mobile clinics, the installation of showers, latrines, and the implementation of organized trash disposal activities.

The possible spread of diseases and lack of permanent shelter continue to be of concern, which could be compounded with the upcoming rainy season. The removal of debris and the fortifying of the buildings that remain standing will be a process that may take years.

Please donate to help!

Source: ADRA International