Haiti
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Photo: Miguel Samper for Mercy Corps
Our strategy
Transition from emergency assistance to long-term support that helps rural communities, entrepreneurs and youth to build a stronger, more self-sufficient country.
The context
The January 2010 earthquake dealt a tragic blow to a country where 55 percent of the population already lived below a poverty line of $1 a day. Still struggling to rebuild, many families have no means to support themselves. Harmful environmental practices have also harmed the country's vital agricultural land, decreasing production and leading to increased food insecurity.
Our work
- Emergency response: Reached more than 1 million people with emergency supplies, clean water, cholera prevention and temporary jobs immediately after the January 2010 earthquake
- Economic opportunity: Helping women start small businesses to support their families — and protecting them from future disasters with affordable microinsurance
- Agriculture & Food: Boosting farmers' harvests and helping rural communities organize for improved production
- Environment: Promoting sustainable land use practices and establishing alternative fuel sources that provide jobs
- Children & Youth: Using soccer to teach leadership, gender awareness, conflict resolution skills and HIV/AIDS prevention education
All stories about Haiti
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Haiti: The latest on our response January 25, 2010
Here's the latest update on our work in Haiti: Water and sanitation assessments continue in various badly affected neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. Sanitation, including in the General Hospital, appears to be a particularly pressing and neglected need.
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Haiti: Getting it done despite bureaucracy and traffic January 25, 2010
Sometimes you just have to try harder. And sometimes, it still doesn't turn out how you wanted it to.
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Haiti: Re-imagining Haiti January 25, 2010
Myanmar. Sichuan. Katrina. Aceh. Their names conjure awful scenes of destruction. In our response to these crises, what lessons have we learned? And how should we be applying them to Haiti, the troubled nation that was perhaps the least prepared of any for tragedy on this scale?
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Haiti: On CNN about our clean water, Comfort for Kids efforts January 25, 2010
CNN NEWSROOM Aired January 25, 2010 - 11:00 ET
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Haiti: Making sure that food gets through January 24, 2010
The world is full of possibilities. Of course, one possibility is things will go wrong.
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Haiti: Assessing needs in a forgotten neighborhood January 23, 2010
Yesterday I accompanied our water expert Mugur Dumitrache yesterday. It's a shantytown that Mugur has described as "not even being on any map."
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Haiti: With our team in Port-au-Prince January 23, 2010
I just arrived in Port-au-Prince, where the early days of chaos are now transforming into a more orderly relief effort. Still, the needs are overwhelming. It is a whirlwind of grief, relief and resilience. Everywhere there are street vendors selling food and basic goods.
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Haiti: Our home office in Haiti January 22, 2010
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Haiti: Sudden encounters, impromptu conversations lead to plans to save lives January 22, 2010
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Haiti: Talking to NBC January 22, 2010
Yesterday I talked to NBC Nightly News correspondent Mike Taibbi about the challenges of delivering aid in post-quake Haiti. Click here to watch.