Update on FH Haiti Response

Your support is enabling Food for the Hungry (FH) to walk with the people of Haiti to facilitate recovery from the devastation of the January 12 earthquake. FH-Haiti staff are showing great courage in service, even as they recover from unimaginable loss of family, friends, homes and other personal possessions.

The communities of focus for FH's relief work are: Bellevue La Montagne, Siloe, Kenscoff and Aux Cadets. There are more than 50,000 displaced people in these communities, and more than 120,000 people are affected.

Haiti Slideshow from Food for the Hungry on Vimeo.

Focus of FH Relief Activities:

Creation of "child-friendly spaces" in target communities to serve at-risk children. These spaces are designed to provide safe, structured areas for play, learning and trauma therapy. Work is taking place in 31 sites with two "child-friendly spaces" per site.

Distribution of tarps and ropes for temporary housing to withstand the rainy season. Many Haitians are living under tents made of bed sheets which will not give protection from rain. Plans and logistics are also being put into place to begin assisting families in the construction of transitional housing designed to protect families from heavy rains that usually begin in April.

"Cash-for-Work" project to facilitate rebuilding and support the local economy. The primary work is rubble removal.

Improvement of water and sanitation access and systems through construction of latrines, setting up of large water storage containers in strategic places throughout affected communities, and distribution of water storage containers, and water filters, and organization of trash clean up teams through the “Cash for Work” project.

Outreach by mobile medical teams and re-establishment of fixed neighborhood clinics in temporary buildings.

Care for orphaned and separated children through establishment of a registration and referral system.

Training pastors and church leaders in holistic Biblical worldview, child protection, gender-based violence prevention, psychosocial care, disaster preparedness and community organization.

Provision of grief counseling services to help communities cope with trauma.


The recovery program led by Food for the Hungry is designed to support the desire of affected families to stay in their home communities, re-establish routine and lay a foundation for further recovery. This approach will serve as an alternative to the large temporary camps being constructed for displaced people which meet immediate needs but cannot address long-term recovery.