"Unflagging commitment" from all parties vital to rebuilding Haiti one year after deadly quake, says World Vision

PORT AU PRINCE, January 10, 2011—As the one-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake approaches, aid agency World Vision calls for patience and “an unflagging commitment” to the people of Haiti as the nation continues to rebuild following last year’s deadly tragedy.

The organization’s president Richard E. Stearns affirmed the progress that World Vision’s relief team in Haiti has achieved in the past year, but cautioned that the work is far from complete.

“Our team in Haiti has helped hundreds of thousands of families this year in the midst of one of the most challenging humanitarian assistance environments we’ve encountered,” said Stearns. “But much more work remains. Rebuilding Haiti will take years and will only happen if everyone involved shows an unflagging commitment to see this rebuilding process through.”

Some of World Vision’s work in Haiti in 2010 includes the following:

• Provided emergency food to more than 1 million people in the first months of the response
• Continuing to provide food to more than 120,000 children
• Establishing and equipping 11 health clinics for quake-affected families
• Providing temporary work opportunities for some 15,000 people
• Offering education and play opportunities for more than 6,000 children

The organization also acknowledged that substantial challenges face the ongoing work.

• The unstable political environment makes Haiti a volatile place to work, which always slows and complicates response programming. The new government that takes power in the spring will need to move decisively to keep the response progressing.
• Land issues and the removal of rubble continue to complicate efforts to build transitional shelters and restore people to their permanent homes.
• The ongoing threat of cholera will require both specific protective programs as well as special consideration for non-health-related programs.

Nevertheless, World Vision reiterated its commitment to the response in Haiti. Said Stearns: “In the coming year, World Vision hopes to complete some 3,500 transitional shelters for families now living under tents and tarps. We will work to offer more economic opportunities for quake survivors and help communities build resilience to threats like hurricanes and the current spread of cholera. This is not a sprint. World Vision is committed to running the marathon and seeing our work in Haiti through to completion.”

“This year was indeed a year of troubles and hardship for Haiti,” said Haitian aid worker Paul-Emile Cesar. “With the earthquake, our land shook. With the cholera outbreak, our people shook. With the post-election violence, our systems shook. But World Vision will not leave our work or the people we serve. We will be here until that work is done.”

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. We serve the world’s poor – regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender. For more information, please visit,www.worldvision.org/press