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Press Release: American Red Cross Announces Spending Plan for Relief and Recovery in Haiti
American Red Cross Announces Spending Plan for Relief and Recovery in Haiti WASHINGTON, March 29, 2010 – The American Red Cross today announced its long-term recovery plan for spending the rest of the nearly $400 million it has received in Haiti donations. The announcement comes two days before an international donor’s conference hosted by the United Nations to discuss ways that governments and non-governmental organizations can help rebuild Haiti, which was devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on January 12. “The crisis is far from over in Haiti, and the American Red Cross will continue to support the brave and resilient people of this country until the last dollar donated for Haiti is spent,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. “It would not have been possible to provide so much help in this extremely difficult situation without the tremendous outpouring of support from the American public.” To date, the American Red Cross has raised $396 million for the Haiti relief and development efforts. In just 11 weeks, the American Red Cross has already spent or allocated a record $106.4 million, with approximately 52 percent of the funds being used for food, water and relief supplies; 36 percent for shelter; 8 percent have been dedicated for health and family services; and 4 percent for livelihoods through cash grants and loans. Today’s announcement provided the broad outline of the expected plans of the American Red Cross for spending the remainder of that money over the next three-to-five years to support families and communities recover from this devastating tragedy. “The American Red Cross is committed to getting more aid to Haiti and its people as quickly as possible, and to do so in the most transparent and practical way possible to meet longer-term needs such as restoring water and sanitation systems, providing adequate shelter and creating sustainable livelihoods,” said David Meltzer, senior vice president for International Services at the Red Cross. Meltzer said that the American Red Cross expects to spend a total of approximately $200 million for emergency relief, such as the provision of emergency food supplies, tarps, tents, relief supplies, financial assistance programs and the initial transitional shelters – mostly in the 12 months following the earthquake. The remainder of the nearly $400 million raised to date, also approximately $200 million, will go toward long-term recovery over the following several years. The biggest share – expected to be between 35-40 percent – of the planned American Red Cross spending for the recovery period will be for shelter, with the effort undertaken in coordination with a number of other organizations working to provide shelter for Haitians. The Red Cross focus will shift from the current provision of emergency shelter materials such as hundreds of thousands of tarps and tents, to providing transitional shelters capable of lasting a few years and that offer more living space to residents and then, finally, to building permanent shelters. Plans to devote tens of millions of dollars to the provision of safe, durable, housing to Haitians depend upon the relevant authorities identifying land upon which the transitional and permanent homes can be built. Another top priority for the recovery phase—estimated to be approximately 20-25 percent – will be water and sanitation projects in Haiti. In addition, the American Red Cross plans to place a growing emphasis – estimated to be between 15-20 percent of the American Red Cross’ spending on Haiti’s recovery – on helping families rebuild their lives through cash grants, loans and other financial assistance that they can use to buy essential items and empower them as they work to rebuild their lives. Other spending areas in the multi-year American Red Cross plan will include developing health programs, building the capacity of the Haitian Red Cross to provide humanitarian assistance to the Haitian people, and helping Haitian communities prepare for future disasters such as floods, hurricanes and earthquakes. The allocations in the American Red Cross plan most likely will shift somewhat in the years ahead in order to be responsive to the fluid situation in Haiti and the evolving needs of the Haitian people. The American Red Cross relief and recovery plan is part of a broader coordinated effort with the global Red Cross network as well as with other aid groups. A recent preliminary assessment by the United Nations and World Bank estimated that it will cost $11.5 billion over three years to rebuild Haiti, an amount that is far more than any single organization can manage alone. Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross, will represent the international Red Cross and Red Crescent network at the U.N. Donor Conference on March 31. The international Red Cross and Red Crescent network will pledge its continued collaboration as part of the global effort to help the Haitian people, and also will call on the Haitian government and international community to find solutions to the lack of available land in Haiti for transitional and permanent shelter. “The needs in Haiti remain immense and the challenges are widespread – both in emergency relief and for long-term recovery,” McGovern said. “Help is reaching people, but we are especially concerned about a possible second humanitarian disaster, with makeshift camps containing hundreds of thousands of Haitians for whom it has not been possible to provide shelters capable of fully protecting them from the severe weather conditions of the rainy season or a hurricane.” The Red Cross network and other organizations have distributed hundreds of thousands of tarps and tents to more than 1 million people or roughly 75 percent of the estimated 1.3 million survivors without a place to live following the earthquake. Efforts are on track to get tarps or tents to the remainder by May 1st. In the meantime, the American Red Cross and other groups are working to mitigate the impact of the rains through disaster preparedness activities such as pre-positioning of relief stocks, replacing dug-in toilets with elevated ones, supporting communities along with the Haitian Red Cross volunteers to dig new drainage gullies and keep old ones clear, putting in place Early Warning Systems and looking for ways to establish safe havens. “We believe that coordination among the U.S. government, the Haitian government, UN and international NGOs is critical to maximizing donor dollars and getting aid to people of Haiti as efficiently as possible and the American Red Cross is committed to participating in such coordination efforts,” McGovern said. You can help the victims of countless crises, like the recent earthquake in Haiti, around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, please do so at the time of your donation by mailing your donation with the designation to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013 or to your local American Red Cross chapter. Donations to the International Response Fund can be made by phone at 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish) or online at www.redcross.org.
29 March 2010
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Haiti Update: Top-Line Facts
Since the earthquake struck in Haiti on January 12, the American Red Cross has raised approximately $369 million. We have spent or allocated $106.4 million in the areas of food and water, shelter, and health and family services. People in Haiti will receive immediate relief and resources, as well as the necessary support and training to help them recover and rebuild. The Red Cross will continue to invest the money entrusted to us by the American people in the most responsible way possible, until the last donated dollar is spent. We are committed to providing assistance quickly, but with a thoughtful and well-planned approach that ensures the best service to meet long-term needs for recovery. The Red Cross is working closely with the Government of Haiti, the World Bank, the UN and others to ensure that relief and recovery work is done in a coordinated, comprehensive and sustainable way. 52% of the money has been spent on food, water and relief supplies; 36% on shelter; 8% on health and family services; and 4% on livelihoods. Shelter: The Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies have given out tarps, tents and other shelter supplies to support 879,000 Haitians in need of shelter following the earthquake—roughly half of the 1.3 million left homeless by the earthquake—and we are on track to get emergency shelter to the rest by May 1, when rains are expected to reach their peak. As we have done following other major international disasters, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Red Cross will support the building of transitional as well as more permanent shelters. The decision on how many permanent homes the Red Cross will help build will be determined in consultation and coordination with the Haitian Red Cross, the Government of Haiti and other international relief organizations. Financial Assistance In partnership with Haiti’s largest microfinance institute Fonkoze , the American Red Cross will provide female heads of household with a grant to help them care for their families as well as the option of a micro loan to help restart their small businesses following the January 2010 earthquake. This multi-faceted program will benefit up to 10,000 families (or approximately 50,000 people), who have lost their homes, business or both. This is a distinct group, different from those receiving supplemental relief or host family grants. A grant of $128 roughly equals the host families’ salary for one month and will help buy the equivalent of 4 sheets of corrugated iron, 1 mattress, 2 sheets, 2 bars of soap and 1.5 bags of rice. Disbursements are being carried out in phases, staggered throughout 6 months, to a group of beneficiaries with long-standing relationships with Fonkoze. Repatriation & Support to Haitian-Americans: Haitian-Americans can contact their local American Red Cross chapter, which can offer mental health services and spiritual care, and help to reconnect Haitian-Americans with their loved ones in Haiti. American Red Cross chapters are in ongoing contact with the Haitian-American community in cities with the largest Haitian-American populations, namely Miami, Greater New York, Northern New Jersey, Massachusetts Bay, Philadelphia and Chicago. We have translated important information into Creole, particularly about locating loved ones. We provide Creole interpretation on the domestic disaster hotline: 1-866-GET INFO.
24 March 2010
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Video: Bonnie McElveen Hunter Visits Haiti
Bonnie McElveen Hunter, Chairman of the Board of the American Red Cross, during her 2nd visit to Haiti.
19 March 2010
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12 March 2010
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Press Release: American Red Cross Passes the $100 Million Mark in Aid for Haiti Earthquake Relief and Recovery
American Red Cross Passes the $100 Million Mark in Aid for Haiti Earthquake Relief and Recovery WASHINGTON, Wednesday, March 10, 2010 — The American Red Cross today announced it is allocating an additional $24.4 million for Haiti earthquake relief and recovery, increasing its total commitment to date to $106.4 million. The Red Cross made its funding announcement the same day that Haitian President Rene Preval is visiting the White House to discuss the urgent need for more aid from the international community to help that island nation recover from the January 12th earthquake. The latest allocation of funds by the American Red Cross includes $16.1 million to support the construction of transitional shelters that will be coordinated by the global Red Cross network; $3.7 million will go to Habitat for Humanity for the purchase of emergency shelter materials, and $4.6 million will support cash grants to 16,000 families so they can buy essential items as part of a program to be run in close coordination with Haiti’s largest microfinance institute, Fonkoze . “We are gravely concerned about the upcoming rainy season as well as the hurricane season for hundreds of thousands of Haiti’s homeless people,” said David Meltzer, senior vice president of international services with the American Red Cross. “The Red Cross is working feverishly to get tents and tarps to everyone who needs them, but we also recognize that these temporary shelters are not hurricane proof.” “We hope that this additional infusion of millions of dollars today to Habitat for Humanity, among others, will provide emergency shelter to more people who are now sleeping out under the stars.“ Meltzer added. The American Red Cross had previously spent or allocated $82 million for food water, emergency care, shelter, relief supplies and family services for Haiti. To date, the American Red Cross has raised approximately $354 million for Haiti relief and recovery efforts. Since the earthquake struck, the Red Cross global network and its partners have provided emergency shelter materials to more than 650,000 people ahead of spring rains and are reaching 80,000 people a week by delivering tens of thousands of tarps, tents, ropes, timber uprights and toolkits. The remainder of the people in need are on track to receive emergency shelter on or before the beginning of May. Read more >>
10 March 2010
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Article
Earthquake in Haiti: Red Cross Helps Provide 100,000th Vaccination in Haiti Since the Earthquake
By Marco Jiménez with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in Port-au-Prince Thursday, March 04, 2010 — When the Haitian government decided that it needed to resume vaccination campaigns to help prevent the spread of disease following the January 12 earthquake, the Red Cross was one of the first organizations to respond – making resources available to protect at least 250,000 children and adults from measles, diptheria, pertussis and tetanus. Starting on February 8 with 120 volunteer vaccinators on the ground, including those from Canada, Haiti, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Norway and the Republic of Korea, the Red Cross and its partners began vaccinating as many as 10,000 in a single day. A great deal of progress has been made since. “One of the people vaccinated today will be the 100,000th of the campaign,” said Dr. Bathélémy Guibert, the director of the municipal health office at Fonds-Verrettes – a municipality in the Croix-des-Bouquets arrondissement in Haiti’s quake zone. These vaccinations are another opportunity for people to survive the tragedy, children above all.” Vaccinations used to be carried out yearly by the health ministry in Haiti, but it was all brought to a halt by January’s devastating earthquake. The hundreds of thousands of displaced people meant vaccination was an urgent priority – one the Haitian health ministry was anxious to get back on the agenda in an effort to prevent disease. Within weeks of the earthquake, the American Red Cross contributed $374,500 to support the health ministry’s emergency campaign and has made a commitment along with its Measles Initiative partners to assist with future efforts as well. Read More >>
4 March 2010
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26 February 2010
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Haiti Update: Top-Line Facts
In just over one month since the earthquake in Haiti, the Red Cross has helped more than 1.3 million people and will continue to aid hundreds of thousands more in the months ahead until the last donated dollar is spent. The American Red Cross has spent or allocated $80 million of the $284 million donated to meet the most urgent needs of Haiti’s earthquake survivors. To meet urgent needs, 69 percent of the funds spent or committed by the American Red Cross have been for food and water; 20 percent have been for shelter; and the rest are for health and family services. Because of the generosity of donors, people in Haiti will receive more than immediate relief — they will receive resources, support and training from the Red Cross that will help them recover and rebuild in the years ahead. As the response progresses and recovery begins the Red Cross will continue to support these priority areas and longer-term assistance initiatives. The Red Cross will continue to invest the money entrusted to us by the American people in the most responsible way until the last donated dollar is spent. Water & Sanitation: The Red Cross has delivered more than 25 million liters of safe drinking water in 110 different settlements since the earthquake. That translates to approximately 1.25 million liters per day – enough for 320,000 people. To address sanitation needs and prevent the spread of disease, 450 latrines have also been installed. Health: More than 20,000 people have been treated by Red Cross health care facilities and mobile teams. That translates to approximately more than 1,000 patients per day. These hospitals and clinics will continue to provide medical services for the community for at least the next five months. The American Red Cross has also donated more than 900 units of blood for earthquake survivors. In partnership with the Haitian government and UN agencies, the Red Cross is helping to promote a vaccination campaign in Haiti to protect children against measles and other infectious diseases. So far, nearly 15,000 have been vaccinated. This first phase of the campaign will continue for at least four more weeks and aims to reach 250,000 people. 15 million text messages have been sent to survivors, sharing important health messages, such as how to prevent the spread of disease and safely prepare food outdoors. Restoring Family Links: Caseworkers are helping people register at the official family linking Web site, place phone calls to loved ones abroad and find family members scattered throughout different settlements in Port-au-Prince. So far, nearly 33,000 people have been assisted in this way. The American Red Cross is also supporting Haitian-Americans and others living in the United States who are looking for immediate relatives in Haiti.
22 February 2010
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Haiti Earthquake: Google Map of Red Cross Relief
This map is meant to provide a general view of where the Red Cross has been able to distribute relief to survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. This is by no means a comprehensive map of relief locations or output. Locations are approximate. View Larger Map
12 February 2010
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Haiti Relief Efforts: Map
View Larger Map This map is meant to provide a general view of where the Red Cross has been able to distribute relief to survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. This is by no means a comprehensive map of relief locations or output. Locations are approximate.
12 February 2010
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12 February 2010
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Video: Supply Distribution
Below are three videos. First, a walk through our warehouse of supplies in Haiti. Second, one of our volunteers explains how he’s going to distribute the supplies. Third, a look at how supplies are actually distributed to survivors.
9 February 2010