Donations to American Red Cross Helping Haiti Recover

News Release, American Red Cross Carolina Lowcountry Chapter:

Rebuild at Two-Year Anniversary of Earthquake

CHARLESTON, SC, Friday, January 6, 2012 – Two years after the Haiti earthquake, the American Red Cross is helping people rebuild their homes and their lives and improving communities with health, water and sanitation projects.

“People in the Lowcountry and across the country responded to help Haiti, and their donations are making a difference with recovery and rebuilding,” said Louise Welch Williams, CEO, Charleston, SC Region. “From local corporate partners to church offerings; from restaurant week promotions to children’s bake sales; to generous individuals making donations, local contributions ranged from $5 to over $40,000” Welch Williams added. The money provided life-saving relief to millions of Haitians after the earthquake and is now being used for longer-term housing, health, safe water and other recovery programs.

In a two-year update, the American Red Cross highlighted its emergency work after the 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, as well as its recovery efforts over the past year. 

The two-year report can be found at redcross.org/haiti.

As part of the US repatriation effort, over 50 local American Red Cross volunteers and staff supported almost 800 American citizens who arrived from Haiti at the Charleston International Airport. The Red Cross provided emotional support, comfort kits, blankets, food and hydration.  as well as helping the arriving citizens make phone calls.   

Despite many challenges – such as the ongoing cholera outbreak – the Red Cross has made significant progress in Haiti. For example the pace of home construction has increased rapidly, with the American Red Cross and the rest of the global Red Cross network providing housing to more than 100,000 people as of December 2011.

Other highlights of the past year include in Haiti:

• Providing clean water and sanitation services to more than 369,000 people
• Providing health services and hygiene education to more than 2.4 million people
• Reaching more than 3 million people with cholera treatment and prevention 
• Teaching more than 436,000 people how to better prepare for disasters
• Providing livelihoods assistance – grants, jobs and other help – to 114,000 people

The American Red Cross received about $486 million in donations following the earthquake, and has spent and signed agreements to spent $330 million on Haiti earthquake relief and recovery efforts in the first two years. The largest portion of spending has gone to food and emergency services, followed by housing, water and sanitation, health, livelihoods, disaster preparedness, and response to the cholera outbreak.

In the coming year, the American Red Cross will focus on programs to renew communities, which includes constructing and repairing homes, providing clean water and sanitation, health education, livelihood support and disaster preparedness programming. The American Red Cross also will continue to support hospitals and clinics that are critical to providing access to needed medical treatment in Haiti, and will maintain its efforts to combat cholera and teach people how to prevent diseases.