Major earthquake in Haiti
A woman collects water in a bucket in the Gressier displaced person's camp. Photo: Pablo Tosco/Oxfam Spain
The UN estimates that 3 million people in Haiti were directly affected by the earthquake that struck on 12 January 2010.
Thanks to the overwhelming support of the public, so far we've been able to help 440,000 people in Haiti with clean water and sanitation. But much more needs to be done, and we're expanding our response to reach up to 600,000 people. We're here for the long haul - working alongside Haitians to rebuild Haiti so that it is stronger than before the quake.
Haiti: 6 months on
Oxfam is providing latrines, clean water, emergency shelter, other basic needs, and helping people earn vital income. Click on the videos to learn more about our work.
Our work has helped ensure that there has been no major outbreak of disease in Port-au-Prince — a remarkable achievement in a wet climate where over 1.5 million people are living outside. Read about some of the creative ways we've helped spread health messages.
Our response going forward
Over the next six months, we will continue to meet people’s basic water, sanitation and hygiene needs. We will also scale up our livelihoods programs to help more people earn incomes so they can be self-sufficient and meet their own needs.
We will continue to face major challenges — many people are still living in dire conditions, with the threat of heavy rains to come. There are no short-term solutions for Haiti, and Oxfam will be there as the country rebuilds.
View Oxfam in Haiti in a larger map
Read Oxfam staffer Ana Castor Arendar's powerful account of life in the camps.
Photos of our Haiti response
Cash-for-work
Oxfam's cash-for-work scheme is paying people to clean up the camps – this allows people to purchase food from markets which have now re-opened. It also gives them a crucial sense of purpose as most people have no jobs and nothing to do. Our experience has shown us that people prefer money to goods or food, that way they have the power to buy the provisions they need.
Watch our cash-for-work scheme in action:
Oxfam's five priorities for Haitian reconstruction
Beyond meeting the immediate needs of people, Oxfam is advocating that long-term reconstruction must focus on five key areas:
- Debt cancellation
- Support for Haitian farmers and small business
- Ensure poor areas benefit from cash grants to speed economic recovery
- Support for civil society and the Haitian government
- Build back better, for example earthquake proof buildings and alternative fuel sources to reduce deforestation
You can help
Thanks to your overwhelming support, we were able to raise enough money to fund our response to the Haiti earthquake for at least three years – and so have closed our Earthquake Appeal. However you can help us respond to future emergenices by making a monthly donation to Oxfam Emergency 365.
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