On August 14, 2021, Haiti was rattled by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that ravaged the island’s southern peninsula. The shockwaves spread panic across the island, brought death and desolation to thousands of families, overwhelmed hospitals, flattened buildings, and trapped people under rubble in at least two cities. Read firsthand accounts from a World Vision communications officer and survivors.
Why World Vision is in Haiti
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, sponsors may experience delays in communication from their sponsored child. We are actively working to keep you updated as the situation changes.
Haiti has been experiencing widespread civil unrest since mid-2018, with insecurity from police and gang violence at its worst since about 1986. Homicides and kidnappings threaten citizens’ safety, and the highest political leaders are implicated in the unrest and injustice. Amid this climate, the pandemic exacerbated vulnerabilities among marginalized people. Haiti has reported very few cases of COVID-19, but this may be due in part to a lack of general health information regarding the virus. In 2020, the nation’s already-weak healthcare system never became critically overwhelmed, and the virus’s spread seemed mild. Adding to the 500,000 Haitian children already out of school, social instability and pandemic-related closures combined to prevent about 70% of kids from going to school in 2020.
Working with community and church leaders, we helped provide COVID-19 health information and supplies like hygiene kits — so families could take preventive measures — to over 2.2 million people. Nearly 60,000 people were reached with at-home learning guidance. To support kids’ nutrition, over 2,100 households received seeds to grow healthy food, and more than 5,600 students and their families received monthly take-home school meals.
We never give up on people
World Vision child sponsorship looks at all the things that prevent children from surviving and thriving in their community, and then works with that community to bring all the pieces of the puzzle together to build a better life for all children. For sponsors, it’s a personal way to show God’s love to a child in need in a life-changing way.
Sponsor a child in Haiti ❯
Progress in Haiti
Thanks to the generous support of donors, we’re making great progress toward the well-being of children and their families.
Child Protection and Care
Boys and girls are safe and valued, well cared for by their families, and participating in their communities as agents of transformation.
- Caregivers are learning new strategies to enhance their income and savings. Farmers attended trainings on sustainable agriculture techniques and were given tools to help expand their production and income.
Healthy Children and Families
Children and families are well nourished, protected from infection and disease, and have access to essential health services.
- Communities were given face masks, supplies, and educational information on how to protect their families from COVID-19.
- Hundreds of mothers were empowered with nutritional information and health strategies to support their children's development with healthy foods. Additionally, their children were given nutritional screenings to mothers know which nutrient gaps should work to fill.
Education for Better Lives
Children have opportunities to learn and to develop their talents, young people are equipped for the future, and families and communities support children's education.
- Over 100 children received backpacks and the school supplies they needed to be successful in school.
- Hundreds of children attended a public speaking and communication course where they were equipped to share their ideas with others.
Prayer Requests from Haiti
World Vision's staff in Haiti are asking us to join them in prayer for the following:
For stability and security in Haiti during this time of unrest, and for children and their families, churches, and Christian organizations in the country to be protected.
That God would sustain our staff’s spiritual life, health, and safety so they can do their best work on behalf of vulnerable children, families, and communities.
News from Haiti
From the Field
Haiti earthquake: Facts, FAQs, and how to help
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake shook Haiti on August 14, 2021, causing widespread damage in at least two cities and over 2,200 deaths. The temblor comes 11 years after a devastating magnitude 7.0 quake hit the Caribbean nation.
Prayers
Peace on Earth: Pray for people in conflict hot spots
Our world is full of hurting families and nations torn apart. One-third of the world’s population live in countries with conflict, violence, or fragile internal systems. Pray with us for people living in fragile contexts and conflict zones.
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