Samaritan’s Purse Leads Emergency Shelter Effort in Haiti During Critical Time for Quake Victims

“Sometimes it rains all day and all week. People have no place to go.” - Jean Francois, Haiti earthquake survivor

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti , July 16, 2010—The sound of hammers can be heard echoing across quake-ravaged communities in Haiti, where Samaritan's Purse construction teams are turning timber and plastic into thousands of sturdy shelters for homeless survivors.

Six months since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas - with intense summer heat and a relentless pounding from evening storms making life even more difficult for quake victims - the need for shelter is critical.  To respond to this urgent need, international Christian relief organization Samaritan's Purse is on a mission to construct 10,000 wood framed 12-feet-by-12-feet shelters by November.  As of July 13, Samaritan's Purse and its partners have completed 3,660 transitional shelters - more than any other relief agency in Haiti - according to the United Nations' committee that is coordinating the construction of shelters.

 

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 "Months have passed since the quake, but the suffering continues for the people of Haiti," said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. "This is the largest disaster response in the history of Samaritan's Purse and we are working as fast as we can to build thousands of shelters for those families still living outdoors."

Additional relief efforts of the N.C.-based relief organization include food distributions, providing clean drinking water, using heavy equipment to remove rubble, sending teams of physicians and medical supplies, and providing salaries for teachers and hygiene training.

Highlights of Samaritan's Purse relief work in Haiti:

SHELTER:

• Provided transitional housing for more than 3,660 families to date (goal: 10,000 by November)
• Tarps distributed to some 30,000 families
• 11,800 rolls of heavy-duty plastic shipped to Haiti (enough to cover over 400 football fields)
• Some 30,000 blankets distributed
  

MEDICAL: More than 10,000 patients and 2,000 vaccinations against tetanus and diphtheria

• Samaritan's Purse has sent more than 150 medical volunteers from the U.S. and Canada, most volunteering for two weeks
• The organization is booking doctors through Dec. 18, 2010
• Samaritan's Purse rebuilt a clinic in Cite Soleil and has treated more than 10,300 patients
• Mobile clinics working in 3 locations: Titanyen/Cabaret, Grand Goave, and Leogane
• Provided doctors and supplies to Baptist Haiti Mission Hospital in weeks following earthquake
  

FOOD: Serving 30,000 currently and more than 400,000 previously

• Feeding 30,000 under new grant from USAID/Food for Peace and World Vision
• In the initial food surge, Samaritan's Purse distributed food to more than 300,000 people

WATER: Serving 41,525 beneficiaries

• 20 community water filters (each has a daily capacity to filter and provide 10,000 gallons of clean drinking water)
• Five in-line chlorinating systems (for water that needs to be treated but not filtered)
• 100 hand pumps being rehabilitated in Port-au-Prince

SANITATION:  Providing assistance to 36,000 people (partnering with USAID)

• 741 latrines (partnership with USAID)
• 172 bathing facilities and 254 hand-washing stations
• 105 solid waste pits
• 9,854 people trained in sanitation and hygiene
  

EDUCATION & TRAINING:

• Providing salaries for 200 teachers in 20 schools in Port-au-Prince and Leogane
• 400 women participating in Community Learning Groups to learn job skills, health and nutrition, personal safety, and healthy living
  

MOBILIZATION OF EMERGENCY SUPPLIES & EQUIPMENT:

• Nine shiploads of cargo (seven already delivered, eighth loading June 22, 2010, ninth and final load next week)
• 35 chartered flights, transporting 300 personnel to Haiti, while commercial flights were unavailable
• First relief flight by Samaritan's Purse landed within 24 hours of earthquake
  

RUBBLE REMOVAL:

• 44,500 cubic feet of rubble removed so rebuilding can begin

ADMINISTRATION:

• Funds raised: $51 million ($45.5 million in donations and the balance in grants)
• Total funds spent :  $17.4 million as of June 22, 2010 (work is ongoing)
• Employees: 71 expatriates, 186 national
  

Opportunities to support the work of Samaritan's Purse in Haiti:

• Visit www.samaritanspurse.org or call (800) 528-1980
• Text "SP" to 85944 to donate $10

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Coverage Opportunities

• Ken Isaacs, 20+ year veteran of international aid in 140 countries and Samaritan's Purse vice president of projects will be available for interviews from the U.S.
• Matt Ellingson, leading Haiti relief work, is available from Port-au-Prince
• High-res photos and b-roll of Samaritan's Purse earthquake relief projects in Haiti 
  
• Follow Samaritan's Purse via updates on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube or connect with us on SocialWire
  

 

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Quotes

Franklin Graham, Samaritan's Purse president and CEO

 

• "Months have passed since the quake, but the suffering continues for the people of Haiti."

• "This is the largest disaster response in the history of Samaritan's Purse and we are working as fast as we can to build thousands of shelters for those families still living outdoors."

• "These people have very little to begin with and now many of them have absolutely nothing."

 

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