Humanitarian response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake

The response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake included national governments, charitable and for-profit organizations from around the world which began coordinating humanitarian aid designed to help the Haitian people. Some countries arranged to send relief and rescue workers and humanitarian supplies directly to the earthquake damage zones, while others sought to organize national fund raising to provide monetary support for the nonprofit groups working directly in Haiti. OCHA and ReliefWeb are coordinating and tracking this on a daily basis.[1] As of March 21, 2010, Reliefweb have reported a total relief funding of $2.5 billion given and a further $1.3 billion pledged.[2]

A number of countries sent large contingents of disaster relief, medical staff, technicians for reconstruction and security personnel. Notably, the governments of the United States, Israel ,the Dominican Republic, Canada, Brazil, Italy and Cuba[3] sent over 1,000 military and disaster relief personnel each, with the United States being by far the largest single contributor to the relief efforts. The international community also committed numerous major assets such as field hospitals, naval vessels, a hospital ship, aircraft carriers, transport aircraft and emergency facilities soon after the extent of the disaster became apparent.

Progress in responding to the almost unprecedented scale of disaster was hampered by numerous factors, including major loss of life, multiple large aftershocks, devastated civil infrastructures, collapsed buildings blocking streets, the lack of electricity for gasoline station pumps, plus the loss of the capitol's seaport and air traffic control facilities. Additionally, the significant damage to the Haitian government ministries, all of which suffered varying degrees of destruction and personnel deaths, further impeded coordination of the disaster response.

In April 2010, the Haiti government asked that massive food distribution in the Petionville camp cease in order to allow the normal economy to resume.[4]

Contents

Appeals for aid

Appeals for international aid were issued, including by Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to the United States and his nephew, singer Wyclef Jean,[5] also a "roving ambassador" for Haiti.[6] The American Red Cross quickly announced that it had run out of supplies in Haiti and appealed for public donations.[7] British charities soon launched a massive fundraising effort.[8] Ireland, which as a country has a history of helping Haitians build houses and has notable connections to Haiti through charities Concern and GOAL, telecommunications operator Denis O'Brien and broadcaster George Hook,[9][10][11] immediately switched all its charitable efforts to helping those affected by the quake.[12]

Response by national governments

Response by intergovernmental organizations

Commonwealth realms

Queen Elizabeth II, monarch of each of the Commonwealth realms, made a donation to the relief effort and issued a personal message of condolence to the President of Haiti.[13][14]

EU

In early January 2010 the EU released €3 m in emergency funding.[15]

The European Council and its member nations later announced more than €429 million (US$600,000,000) in emergency humanitarian aid, rehabilitation aid and medium-to long-term reconstruction aid.[16] The aid was to be provided as detailed:

Humanitarian Assistance

The EU pledged €122 million in humanitarian assistance: Emergency relief aid package: €30 million (incl. a €3 million ECHO fast-track decision). Commission funds were to be distributed via UN agencies, international NGOs and the Red Cross. €92 million from member countries.

Support for Early Recovery and Reinforcing State Capacity.

The European Commission pledged to provide €100 million for short term recovery and rehabilitation.

Reconstruction and Rehabilitation.

The European Commission pledged to provide €200 million from the 10th and 9th EDF funds for Haiti. They would be in addition to bilateral contributions from EU Member States' budgets. [17]

The European Union thus pledged at least €429 million to Haiti in both emergency and humanitarian aid to help the medium and long term work of rebuilding the country devastated by the earthquake. In addition, the 27 countries decided to send some 150 troops from the European Gendarmerie to ensure that humanitarian aid would reach the people affected by the earthquake.

The financial contribution of the EU as a whole totaled €429 million, broken down as:

Organization of American States

The Organization of American States donated US$100 000.[19]

Union of South American Nations

The Union of South American Nations pledged US$300 000 000 to help rebuild Haiti on long terms. A meeting was held in Quito in order to discuss how it would be utilized.[20]

United Nations

As the extent of the catastrophe unfolded, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon commented: "There is no doubt that we are facing a major humanitarian emergency and that a major relief effort will be required". The U.N. mobilized an emergency response team to help coordinate humanitarian relief efforts.[21]

Response by non-governmental organizations

Many non-governmental organizations, including international, religious and regionally-based NGOs, immediately pledged support in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake. NGOs contributed significantly to both on-the-ground rescue efforts and external solicitation of aid for those rescue efforts.

Response by corporations

Notable responses by private persons and groups

Response by online communities

See also

References

  1. ^ [1], The Guardian, 14 January 2010.
  2. ^ Reliefweb: Haiti Earthquakes funding tracker http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/fts.nsf/doc105?OpenForm&rc=2&emid=EQ-2010-000009-HTI
  3. ^ Tom Fawthrop. Cuba's Aid Ignored By The Media?, AlJazeera.net, February 16, 2010. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
  4. ^ St. Pierre, Mary (April 23-May 6, 2010). "Rebuilding Haiti one small step at a time". Orlando, Florida: Florida Catholic. pp. A1. http://thefloridacatholic.org/iv/view/item/222. 
  5. ^ "Appeals for aid after quake strikes Haiti". CNN. 13 January 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  6. ^ Reuters (3 January 2007). "Wyclef Jean to be Haiti’s roving ambassador". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16459449/. Retrieved 13 January 2010. 
  7. ^ Press, Associated. "American Red Cross says it has run out of medical supplies in Haiti". latimes.com. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-us-us-haiti-red-cross,0,3443905.story. Retrieved 2010-01-15. 
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  10. ^ Niamh Hennessy, Irish Examiner, "Hook urges volunteers to get building in Haiti", Wednesday, January 13, 2010
  11. ^ Irish Central "Irish connections run very deep to Haiti", Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at 11:58 PM
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  28. ^ OCHA, "OCHA's Response - Fact Sheet", 29 January 2010 (accessed 9 February 2010)
  29. ^ "Aniston donates $500k to Haiti appea". Ireland Online. January 26, 2010. http://breakingnews.iol.ie/entertainment/aniston-donates-500k-to-haiti-appeal-443553.html. Retrieved 2010-01-26. 
  30. ^ "Charles Aznavour to record music video to raise funds for quake-stricken Haiti". Kuwait Times. January 18, 2010. http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NzcxNjA4MDE2. Retrieved 18 January 2010. 
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  35. ^ Haiti earthquake: 'Baby Doc’ Duvalier pledges £5m aid
  36. ^ "United Nations Foundation » Evanescence Teams Up with the United Nations Foundation". unfoundation.org. January 22, 2010. http://www.unfoundation.org/press-center/press-releases/2010/evanescence-teams-up-with-united-nations-foundation.html. Retrieved 2010-01-22. 
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  38. ^ Vena, Jocelyn (15 January 2010). "Lady Gaga Pledges Haiti Earthquake-Relief Donation On 'Oprah'". MTV. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1629858/20100115/lady_gaga.jhtml. Retrieved 16 January 2010. 
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  49. ^ Ibid.
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  51. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8477345.stm BBC
  52. ^ http://www.justgiving.com/CharlieSimpson-HAITI
  53. ^ http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2010/01/26/simon-cowell-praises-schoolboy-charlie-simpsons-haiti-fund-as-it-hits-s160-000-115875-21995249/
  54. ^ James Meikle (2010-01-25). "Schoolboy Charlie Simpson raises £120,000 for Haiti". The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/25/schoolboy-charlie-simpson-haiti-bike. Retrieved 2010-01-26. 
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  58. ^ USA (2010-01-16). "Helium's Haiti Relief Fund - by Sarah Bedrick". Helium.com. http://www.helium.com/zone/8795-helium-haiti-relief-fund. Retrieved 2010-01-23. 
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External links

Emergency aid
Contacting friends and relatives in Haiti
Maps and photos