Background and Approach

Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on January 12, 2010. Its epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, approximately 25 km (16 miles) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital.

UUSC-UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund: $1,949,265 - 12/10/10

Background

Months after a catastrophic earthquake rocked Port-au-Prince, Haiti, thousands of people remain in extremely precarious situations. About 1.3 million survivors live under tents and tarps in more than 1,300 informal settlement sites. Over half a million survivors who fled into the countryside have received little help beyond what was provided by the low-income families that took them in. Little has been done to move people beyond the emergency phase. Reconstruction has barely begun.

Haiti is the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation. Rife with radical inequality, Haitian society systematically excludes large numbers of people. For many, daily survival was a challenge even before the earthquake; today, their lives are infinitely more difficult. In the months and years to come, how Haiti rebuilds and recovers will bear the stamp of the global community's values and priorities.

UUSC's approach

UUSC stands with those who are working to reverse the cycle of collapse and dependence that has plagued Haiti throughout its history. Including policy and advocacy initiatives and constituent engagement in its approach, UUSC is using all of its tools to respond to this emergency. By partnering with Haitian organizations and social movements, UUSC will help their vision become reality.

UUSC's goal is to support earthquake survivors who are being overlooked by the mainstream aid response, ensuring their access to food, livelihoods, shelter, protection, representation, and psychosocial support. Immediately after the earthquake, UUSC worked with Haitian grassroots organizations to make sure people had food to eat and the pots to cook it in. With UUSC support, program partners created jobs that helped put food on the table and send children to school. They also bought and distributed local seeds to help survivors and their host families in the countryside increase food production.

UUSC continues to develop initiatives with partner organizations in Haiti to address immediate and long-term needs in the aftermath of the earthquake. UUSC currently works with the following partners:

• The Trauma Resource Institute, to teach aid workers, social workers, community leaders, and earthquake survivors about the biological responses to trauma and ways to positively manage those responses.
• Konbit Fanm Saj, to ensure that women street vendors in and around Port-au-Prince have access to the capital, training, and support they need to recover their livelihoods.
• Beyond Borders, to build a child-protection network in camps and help communities prevent trafficking of children into slavery.
• Groundswell International and Partnership for Local Development, to help survivors who fled to the countryside earn income that will enable them to put food on the table and send their children to school.
• The Association for the Promotion of Integral Family Healthcare (APROSIFA), to improve the physical and mental health of children, youth, and families through better nutrition, income-generation support, art therapy, and expanded health care.

Together, and with your continued generous support, UUSC is acting in solidarity with survivors in Haiti to make a positive difference in their lives and their communities. Support the UUSC-UUA Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund today.