Haiti Earthquake

About The Emergency

In January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti—already one of the poorest nations in the world—decimating the country and leaving many of its 9.7 million citizens with nothing.

How Islamic Relief Helped

Immediately after the earthquake struck, Islamic Relief USA launched a fundraising appeal and coordinated an aid shipment with the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints to send hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of food, water, filtration systems and medical supplies. On the ground, IRUSA teams immediately began distributing resources to survivors, and opened one of the first make-shift camps. Subsequent efforts went toward building shelters and reconstructing a school   Here are some details about IRUSA’s projects in Haiti:

• Worked closely with Haiti’s Ministry of Education, the mayors of Delmas and Carrefour and school directors, to provide materials and labor to repair damaged schools: an estimated 2,500 students between the ages of 5 and 17 benefited from this school restructuring program.
• Employed more than 450 beneficiaries in its Cash for Work program, contributing to the clean-up and economic revitalization of affected communities: tens of thousands of tons of rubble were cleared; better access to roads allowed thousands to return home; transportation was made easier. IR has also established a vocational training center to conduct skills training for IT, car mechanics and carpentry from more than 600 youths.
• Invested millions of dollars toward building 400 transitional shelters and reconstructing a school that will serve nearly 600 students.
• Constructed community latrines that meet Sphere standards: the project helped raise promote hygiene best practices at IR-administered camps.

Read “One Year Later: Haiti’s Devestating Earthquake Leaves Permanent Scar,” an IRUSA blog, to learn more about Islamic Relief’s efforts in Haiti.

How You Can Help

Here are three ways you can help in cases of emergency.