Haiti

Combating malnutrition, Water, sanitation and hygiene, Child protection

Present in Haiti since 1989, Terre des hommes provides care to children suffering from malnutrition, develops access to drinking water and supplies emergency aid during disasters. Almost 150,000 people profited from Tdh’s activities in 2011.

The context

Since the 2010 earthquake, the number of people living in camps has dropped from 1.5 million to 550,000 by the end of 2011. Half of the ten million cubic metres of debris have been cleared away. However, only a tiny percentage of the 100,000 seriously damaged homes have been rebuilt. Great need remains regarding access to drinking water and sanitation and child protection mechanisms in particular. Now considered endemic, cholera will continue to claim victims in coming years. According to the United Nations, 45% of the population were living with threatened food security in 2011.

Our intervention

Mother and child health

In the south, Tdh has already sensitised more than half the population to the risks of malnutrition and assisted the hospital in Les Cayes in caring for malnourished children. These projects were expanded in the region as well as in the west, the epicentre of the quake, to relieve authorities overwhelmed by the crisis and by the arrival of displaced people.

Water, hygiene and sanitation and fight against cholera

In 2011, Tdh reoriented its activities to respond to the cholera crisis. As the country had never been afflicted with this disease before, there were no mechanisms in place. Tdh assisted in the construction of two care centres, started prevention campaigns, treated the contagion areas and referred sick people to the care centres. The teams also continued their normal work: constructing latrines, improving access to drinking water, promoting hygiene and distributing hygiene kits.

Child protection

Tdh cooperates with IBESR to improve living conditions for vulnerable children, victims of neglect, violence, exploitation, those who have no access to their minimum rights and teenage mothers. Tdh also works to reunite children who were sent to live with relatives or in residential centres with their families to avoid the risk of abuse or exploitation as domestic help.

• -73.751278 18.194228

  Les Cayes

• -72.86155 18.434558

  Petit Gôave

• -73.925214 18.095627

  Port Salut

• -73.887827 18.20303

  Chantal

• -73.916495 18.115765

  Arniquet

• -73.811574 18.165613

  Torbeck

• -73.867464 18.325082

  Camp Perrin

• -72.770355 18.429998

  Grand Gôave