Preparing the Road Ahead in Haiti
Relying on Rural Communities
Over the past few weeks you’ve seen a lot of images of post-earthquake Haiti, most of them coming from the devastated capital of Port-au-Prince. This is with good reason — the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck on January 12 toppled buildings and homes, killed an estimated 200,000 people and left millions homeless and in desperate need of help.
What you may not have seen, however, are the smaller, rural communities that are equally affected by this crisis. Before the earthquake, rural communities in Haiti suffered gripping poverty coupled with a lack of support and development. Some of these communities were directly impacted by the earthquake, sustaining damage to vital irrigation and agricultural systems. Others are coping with the mass migration of people from the Port-au-Prince area, placing a strain on their precious few resources. In both cases, rural communities remain in need of immediate relief as well as long-term support to recover from this disaster.
Lutheran World Relief and partners on the ground are working to help in the capital city. But LWR is at the forefront of the response in rural regions, focusing relief and support to affected communities in rural areas where few aid organizations are working.
In the immediate wake of the crisis, LWR responded as a member of the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International global aid alliance, supporting local partner Lutheran World Federation to deliver water, food and shelter materials. Through other partners, LWR is also helping to ensure sanitation for thousands of displaced people. Along with partners Church World Service and International Relief and Development, LWR has delivered 2,325 health kits, 1,500 layettes and 11,265 quilts for distribution.
“Our immediate response focused on meeting the vital needs of people in and around Port-au-Prince,” says Trevor Knoblich, LWR’s Program Coordinator for Emergency Response. “But as our partners on the ground began to assess the situation, we found that rural areas were badly impacted as well and needed our help.”
A man and his daughter in a displaced persons camp in Jacmel, a town on Haiti's southern coast that was ravaged by the January 12 earthquake. Photo by Paul Jeffrey/ACT Alliance.
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For many fleeing the destruction in Port-au-Prince, staying with relatives in rural areas was the only option. So far, nearly 470,000 people have left Port-au-Prince in search of refuge. With the massive influx of people into already struggling communities, LWR is using its expertise in working with local partners in poor, rural communities to deliver both immediate and long-term help.
“By and large, the people of Haiti have banded together in the face of this crisis and many rural areas have accepted survivors into their communities,” adds Knoblich. “But many of these same communities were already struggling to feed their existing population. Adding more people creates a tremendous additional strain.”
To help provide immediate relief, and to prepare for longer-term recovery work, LWR has partnered with Partenariat pour le Développement Local(Partnership for Local Development or PLD), a local Haitian organization that helps communities grow food, earn income, improve health and manage their natural resources.
“LWR has worked in Haiti for 14 years, helping to improve health, food production and income in rural communities,” says Michael Watt, LWR’s Regional Director for Latin America programs. That long standing presence made LWR well poised to act on behalf of communities that are often overlooked by traditional relief efforts.
Through partnership with PLD, LWR will support the distribution of food for 2,400 displaced people and help establish community stores that will sell staples like beans, rice and salt at reduced prices. These stores will allow people to buy food locally and will help stimulate local economies.
Other program activities include work programs that engage local residents to help repair vital infrastructure like irrigation systems, as well as building and stocking seed banks for growing food. The installation of 100 latrines will help promote sanitation, and 100 water filters will provide a sustainable source of clean water for 10,000 displaced people.
“These activities all serve to meet the needs of people today while preparing for the long road of recovery ahead,” adds Watt. “This is just the beginning of LWR’s work to help and strengthen communities in Haiti.”
Overall, LWR has committed $2.25 million to relief work in Haiti and is planning to remain at least three to five years to help communities recover. The road ahead in Haiti relies on rural communities. By focusing work in rural communities, we can help all of Haiti by providing locally grown food, stimulating local economies and keeping food affordable.
Your gifts allow LWR to continue this life-saving, life-building work.
To learn more about LWR’s relief efforts in Haiti, go to lwr.org/Haiti.
Nikki Massie is LWR’s Staff Writer.
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