Welthungerhilfe plans five-year programme for Haiti –  14.19 million Euros already donated

An unbroken statue in the middle of a
destroyed surrounding. (01.02.2010). As at 1st February, Welthungerhilfe has collected 14.19 million Euros for Haiti. It will use this money to finance a five-year programme for the country, which has been hit by a severe earthquake. "We're not just looking at emergency relief aid here, but now we are already planning the long-term measures", says Dr. Wolfgang Jamann, Welthungerhilfe's Secretary General.

Welthungerhilfe has been working in Haiti since 1974. Haiti is one of the ten most hunger-stricken countries in the world. Reasons for this include unstable political framework conditions, deforestation and cheap imported rice, which makes it difficult for the country to build up its own viable means of production. "The latest disaster can turn into a genuine opportunity for the country" says Jamann. "The precondition for this is to focus on the interests of the people of Haiti and to follow the principle of help towards self-help in order to put them in the position where they can rebuild their country and free themselves from poverty."

As an initial emergency relief aid measure, Welthungerhilfe is distributing food – rice and beans – to about 40,000 people. In addition, it is continuing to supply drinking water on a daily basis. Since many people have lost everything they possessed, a large-scale operation to distribute tarpaulins and ropes is starting today, to be followed by cooking utensils and sanitary implements. For this, Welthungerhilfe has transferred the main focus of its aid to the South of the country in the region around Petit-Goâve and Jacmel.  

Clear-up work will also be carried out there in the form of so-called cash-for-work measures, whereby men and women from the region receive a modest wage for their work. This will have the positive side effect of boosting the local economy of the poverty-stricken region. About 31,500 people will benefit from this aid.

Rural development is a main focus of Welthungerhilfe's work. Since many fields have been destroyed, Welthungerhilfe is handing out seeds to 3,000 families. About 40 water points which were destroyed by the earthquake are being repaired. The Bonn-based organisation is carrying out this work together with its local partner organisation, "Concert Action".

As plans unfold, further aid measures will follow, and assistance will also be extended to the North of the country, to the area around Jean Rabel. Although this area was not directly affected by the earthquake, reports from the area indicate that there are 27,000 refugees there. These are former inhabitants of Port-au-Prince who have been made homeless. They are also to be integrated into the aid measures.