Foreword
On the morning of 12 January 2010, Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake killing more than 220,000 people and making over 1.5 million homeless. In the direct aftermath of the disaster, SOLIDAR members reacted in a surge of solidarity to provide assistance to the victims of the Haitian earthquake, and to coordinate their relief action.
SOLIDAR network members Norwegian People’s Aid, APHEDA Australia, Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund (ASB) Germany and ASB Austria, ARCI, Assamblea de Cooperacion Por la Paz Spain, MPDL Spain, Progetto Sud Italy, ISCOS Italy, Progetto Sviluppo – CGIL Italy, SASK Finland, Solidar Suisse, Solidaridad Internacional Spain, Solidarité Laique France, Solidarité Syndicale Luxembourg and Volkshilfe Austria all worked together to increase the impact of their interventions.
The SOLIDAR Haiti Solidarity Fund was set up to centralise the funds raised by SOLIDAR members from three countries – in particular Norwegian People’s Aid – in solidarity with Haiti. The Fund was then granted to three consortia of member organisations working in Haiti. This publication provides a detailed overview of the three initiatives that were carried out using these funds and the impact that they have had for the Haitian people.
SOLIDAR would like to thank all the people and organisations who so generously contributed to this solidarity fund and made it possible to help so many Haitians. Moreover, SOLIDAR would like to thank all those people engaged in the construction of the two primary schools, the economic, environmental and accessibility rehabilitation of ravines and roads and the ‘Better Work for a Decent Reconstruction’ initiative. Through their relentless commitment we have been able to provide new opportunities for those hardest hit by the devastating earthquake.
This publication is not only a tale of success, but also a call for increased engagement, as three years after the devastating disaster almost two million people (in particular women, children, nursing mothers) still face food insecurity and over 350,000 people are still living in camps waiting for humanitarian assistance.
SOLIDAR member have not ended their solidarity actions - join us!
Conny Reuter
Secretary General