A brief summary
- On Saturday 14th August an earthquake struck Haiti.
- All children and staff are safe.
- There has been no damage to the SOS houses or school, but there has been significant damage to the water tank at Les Cayes.
- A team of psychologists are already providing support to the children and staff in the village of Les Cayes.
- A technical team is carrying out rapid assessments to evaluate the needs of those in the affected communities.
- You can support our emergency response capabilities by donating to our emergency response fund.
What happened?
On the morning of Saturday 14th August, an earthquake of magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale struck Haiti, causing enormous material damage and loss of human life. Since the earthquake, hospitals have been overwhelmed and there has been a shortage of medicine. People in the area are appealing for help from more experienced doctors to assist in life-saving efforts. Major damage to roads, healthcare, and educational infrastructures have been reported. However, port, airport, sports, and telecommunications appear to have escaped major damage so far.
SOS Children’s Villages in Haiti
SOS Children’s Villages Haiti focuses on children who have lost or are at risk of losing the care of their biological family.
The impact on SOS Children’s Villages Haiti
The strongest impact has been felt in the Les Cayes area. In the Les Cayes village, participants and staff are all safe. However, some people have lost their homes and others have suffered material losses.
The team in Haiti continues to implement all the necessary strategies to guarantee the safety and meet the needs of children and employees. The family houses have food and water supplies to last for a few days. Since Saturday August 14th, education workers have started fun and educational activities with the children, as well as emotional recovery exercises with caregivers.
There has been an immediate psychological effect on children and caregivers. Many are afraid to enter the houses, despite their earthquake-resistant structure and lack of damage.
What actions have been taken?
- The first action was to verify that all the people of the programmes in Les Cayes were safe.
- A technical team is assessing the needs of the communities affected by the earthquake.
- A team of psychologists will continue to provide psychosocial support to the village of Les Cayes.
- Education staff are working to limit the risk of infection from COVID 19.
