American Red Cross Issues Five-Year Update on Haiti Earthquake Work

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Jan 06, 2015, 12:01 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Five years after the 2010 earthquake, the American Red Cross has improved the lives of millions of Haitians by making families safer, healthier and more resilient to future disasters—all thanks to the generosity of donors.

In its five-year update, the American Red Cross describes its continued work to ensure Haiti's recovery is sustainable, including investments in safer neighborhoods and secure houses, better access to water and sanitation, improved healthcare, and education about disaster preparedness and hygiene. More than 4.5 million Haitians have benefited from services from the American Red Cross since the January 12, 2010 earthquake. The report can be found at redcross.org/Haiti.

"Throughout the past five years, the American Red Cross has pledged to spend the donations for Haiti wisely and efficiently," said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. "Because of the generosity of the American people, Haitians have reopened or launched new businesses and moved into safer living conditions. Rubble that used to stretch as far as the eye could see has been removed and people have better access to health care and clean water and sanitation."

The American Red Cross is committed to working with community members to understand their needs and priorities. One of these areas is economic opportunity. The earthquake took a devastating toll on Haiti's economy as millions lost their sources of income. The American Red Cross has since employed thousands of Haitians through its projects, provided cash grants for people to restart businesses and offered vocational training to help Haitians create stable income streams.

Since the earthquake struck, the American Red Cross in Haiti has:

Spent and committed $173 million on shelter programs—ensuring that 132,000 people, to date, have a safer place to live;
Provided clean water and sanitation services for more than 556,000 people;
Reached more than 3.5 million people with cholera response and prevention activities, including the country's first cholera vaccination campaign;
Provided more than 388,000 people with livelihoods assistance, including grants, job training, cash-for-work and other help;
Invested more than $98 million in cholera prevention and health services, including construction or operational funding for eight hospitals and clinics;
Spent and committed more than $56 million to enable residents to be better prepared for future disasters.

All of the $488 million donated to the American Red Cross following the earthquake has been spent or committed to meet the needs of people affected and to build their capacity to respond to future disasters. Haiti donations will be spent on Haiti programs, and American Red Cross projects will continue to provide the people of Haiti with long-term healthcare, neighborhood recovery, improved access to clean water and sanitation, livelihoods assistance and disaster preparedness.

The American Red Cross continues to work with community members, the Haitian government and partner organizations like the Haitian Red Cross to ensure that its work in Haiti meets community needs and is sustainable well into the future. On average, 91 cents of every dollar spent by the American Red Cross goes directly to humanitarian services and programs.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

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SOURCE American Red Cross