Recently, several media reports have called into question the American Red Cross response during the past five years to the 2010 Haiti earthquake disaster. We stand-by our response to the earthquake disaster. And, we are disappointed to see how our work has been misrepresented in some media.
With generous support of the American people, the Red Cross has helped millions of Haitians who desperately needed humanitarian assistance. Donations enabled the Red Cross to help build and operate eight hospitals and clinics, stem a cholera outbreak, supply clean water and sanitation, provide job training, and move more than 100,000 people out of make-shift shelters, comprised mainly of tarpaulins and tents, into safer and improved housing. We also helped build and repair infrastructure, such as schools, roadways and water distribution points, all vital to neighborhood recovery. Despite challenging conditions in a developing nation, including changes in government leadership, lack of land for permanent housing, and civil unrest, our hardworking staff—90 percent of whom are Haitians—continue to work to meet the long-term needs of the Haitian people. While the pace of progress is never as fast as we would like, Haiti is better off today than it was five years ago.
To learn the facts about our Haiti Recovery Program and to hear from those we have helped and continue to help, please visit The Red Cross in Haiti: Five Years of Response and Recovery. See also The Real Story of the 6 Homes in Haiti and 13 Facts about the Red Cross Response in Haiti, which directly address the numerous inaccuracies in recent media reports. To read “Haiti on My Mind,” a recent personal account from a relief worker who responded early to the disaster, click here.
The American Red Cross has been there to help people in need for 134 years. It will be there for the next disaster or emergency to help people across the country and in other areas around the world. Thank you for your support of the American Red Cross.
American Red Cross 