Hope for Haiti Earthquake Survivors
Together, we provided safe water and the hope of God’s love to more than 260,000 survivors of 10 disasters in 2021. Our disaster response strategy goes far beyond short-term relief efforts. We not only provide immediate aid, but also implement long-term solutions that help communities better prepare for future disasters.
One example of this was seen in Haiti, where Water Mission has a robust in-country program and an extensive network of local partners. Thanks to this long-term engagement in the area and support from our friends at Hand of Hope, we were well-positioned to respond to a deadly magnitude 7.2 earthquake in August.
In southern Haiti, where the earthquake caused significant damage, more than 35 best-in-class Water Mission safe water projects had already been providing safe water for years. Knowing Haiti is prone to earthquakes and hurricanes, we incorporated wind load and seismic safety factors into the designs. Because of this intentional approach, the systems remained functional following the earthquake, and people had lifesaving water immediately after the disaster. We could then use these systems to produce extra water, trucking it into neighboring communities whose water systems had been damaged by the earthquake. Simultaneously, we quickly deployed emergency water treatment systems from our Port-au-Prince warehouse to address high-priority needs in the area. Additional systems were airfreighted from our headquarters in North Charleston, SC, to hard-to-reach areas. FedEx made it possible to get equipment to Haiti and USAID opened doors for in-country U.S. military helicopter transport.
Providing safe water is a way to show love to those facing overwhelming loss. As our work continues in areas impacted by disasters, our partners help bring lifesaving safe water and hope to men, women, and children desperately in need.