Image by https://www.care.org/

On August 14, 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit southern Haiti and caused significant destruction across the island. Six hundred and fifty thousand people needed emergency humanitarian assistance. Then, two days later, Tropical Depression Grace hit the island, creating additional risks and challenges for people already in need.

The Haitian Civil Protection General Directorate (DGPC) estimates that 2,248 people lost their lives, 12,763 people were injured, and 329 are still missing. More than 137,500 homes were severely damaged or destroyed, leaving thousands of people homeless and in critical need of shelter and access to safe drinking water.

The earthquake’s devastation affected all areas of life for the people of southern Haiti. CARE International (CARE), a leading global organization dedicated to saving lives and ending poverty, reported that health facilities, administrative offices, and businesses have been reduced to rubble. More than 300 school buildings were destroyed in the earthquake, creating yet another hurdle for four million children who have been kept from their classrooms for the better part of two years due to COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns.

One of the first organizations to begin emergency support on the island, CARE reported that, as of October 2021, its team reached 71,498 people with response efforts. CARE also provided 952 people with shelter materials and tools to help communities begin to rebuild. The organization distributed 82,000 gallons of water and 145 hygiene kits to families and constructed 11 handwashing stations in public spaces. CARE also launched campaigns reaching 71,498 people with messages about COVID-19 prevention, gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, nutrition, and hurricane preparedness.

Public Consulting Group (PCG) was extremely proud to support CARE’s crisis efforts in Haiti through employee and firm donations. CARE and PCG share a deep commitment to serving people in need, because solutions that matter lead to healthy, empowered, and successful individuals, families, and communities.

Thanks to CARE’s experienced staff and ongoing relationships with local communities and support structures on the island, the organization continues to be well placed to address the needs of the people of Haiti. The recent earthquake and tropical storm are only the latest challenges for a country that has experienced worsening political and economic instability.

To address one of these challenges specifically, CARE conducted a recent rapid gender assessment in Haiti in partnership with UN Women (The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women). The assessment helped to identify particular needs of women and girls. Based on the results, CARE is calling for a more inclusive response that creates space for women, children, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations. Muhamed Bizimana, CARE Haiti’s assistant country director, said, “without their direct involvement, the recovery is at risk of leaving them behind.”

Thank you, CARE, for continuing to rapidly expand your ability to reach earthquake-affected families in Haiti, including thousands of women and girls at risk. PCG will continue to support CARE’s work to save lives and end poverty across the world.

To learn more about PCG’s public sector work to improve lives, visit https://www.publicconsultinggroup.com/.

To learn more about CARE’s global work to save lives and end poverty, visit https://www.care-international.org/.