Haiti - Terre des hommes takes off to support the victims

Despite the difficulties encountered in matters of communication, Terre des hommes – Child Relief (Tdh) in Lausanne has managed yesterday to reach its team based in Haiti. After having taken refuge in the hills following the earthquake and the tsunami alert, our colleagues now managed to get back to the delegation in the Cayes. Their testimonies report a bleaker situation than first expected in this area, yet quite far away from the epicentre. The hospital receives three times more patients than usual, coming from the South of the country. Like the rest of the population, our team is shocked and weakened. It receives terrible news from family members living at Port-au-Prince.
Tdh therefore decided to send an additional small team in order to come to the rescue of the population as quickly as possible. Already this week-end, three experts will arrive in Haiti to distribute emergency items. As the international humanitarian aid is focussing more specifically on Port-au-Prince, the emergency team of Tdh will probably intervene in the epicentre of the earthquake area. This will also enable them to evaluate the most urgent needs as well as the appropriate support that Tdh could provide. Terre des hommes already foresees an intervention on a longer term, most probably centred on Water and Sanitation aspects and psychosocial support.
In the meantime, the team already present in Les Cayes will launch a situation analysis in the South of the country. Knowing that accessing the capital is still very difficult and that the humanitarian aid will focus more specifically on the most stricken areas, the delegation will distribute its stocks to the most in need in the South; around 20’000 people will be able to benefit from this aid (dry rations, medicines, hygiene kits etc.). Large Tents will be put up to provide shelter for victims having lost their homes.
More information will follow on this site, especially an interview with our delegate in Haiti, Ms. Eleonore Chiossone.