Haiti FAQs - one year on

cbm Haiti – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
 
What happened?

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck on Tuesday January 12, 2010, just ten miles from the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, which is home to more than 2,000,000 people. The earthquake was the worst to strike the impoverished island nation in more than 200 years.
 
How many people are affected?

Virtually everyone in Haiti was affected. According to the Government of Haiti an estimated 230,000 people died, 300,000 others sustained injuries that could lead to a disability, and 1.3 million people were displaced and forced to live in temporary shelter camps.
 
Why was the quake so devastating for Haiti?

The earthquake worsened an already desperate situation, destroying or damaging the main sources of income and jobs for Haiti's poorest people: micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. An estimated $5.4 billion in assets have been wiped out, leaving businesses and property owner’s scarce means to recover. Prior to this disaster, more than half the Haitian people lived on less than one dollar a day, with official unemployment estimated at 70%. These conditions have historically meant economic instability for Haiti and a vicious cycle of aid-dependency.
 
I’ve heard about damage to the city of Port-au-Prince, but how have rural communities fared?

Rural communities were also impacted by the quake. Although relief efforts focus on the main population center of Port-au-Prince, there was also significant damage in rural communities, particularly in western Haiti. In addition, these already struggling rural communities are now coping with the migration of over 400,000 quake survivors from damaged urban areas.
 
How is cbm responding to the quake?

cbm initially responded to the quake by working with our partners to provide immediate food, water, shelter and medical attention. During the days that followed the quake cbm, and our partners, provided physio/occupational therapists in hospital and temporary community settings and set up temporary Child Day Care Centers. After the emergency phase, cbm shifted its focus to the long-term needs of Haiti and people living with a disability. Our strategy moving forward focuses on Health, Education, Advocacy, Community Based Rehabilitation and Disaster Preparedness. For more details please refer to our Haiti one year after report. For more details about cbm’s response go to www.cbmnz.org.nz 
 
How is cbm maximizing its efforts so that resources do the greatest good for the greatest number of people?

cbm is maximizing its efforts by collaborating and coordinating with local and international partners to make sure that every person with a disability is reached and no one falls through the gaps. cbm is working alongside Haitian Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs) who are in constant contact with the local disabled community to make sure that our programs are meeting the needs of those most at risk. We are also supporting the work of these Haitian DPOs in order to support the principle of Haitians helping Haitians. cbm is also working alongside the Government of Haiti to make sure our programs are support and are conducting in coordination with government efforts. And we are working with global partners such as Handicap International to maximize the reach of our programs and eliminate duplication of services. 
 
Is cbm partnering with any other organizations?

cbm always partners with local organizations when working in a country. We believe it is more effective to work with local Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs) in order to improve the quality of life for people living with a disability. Since the quake, cbmhas also been working with a number of international organizations such as ChildFund, Electric Aid, Action Medeor and Project Hope just to name a few. In fact, as of November 30, 2010 cbmhas partnered with more than 40 local and international organizations as well as the Government of Haiti in order to deliver the best and most effective programming that will help earthquake survivors and those living with a disability in Haiti.
 
How many people has cbm helped?

To date cbm and our partners have helped more than 73,000 earthquake survivors, and that number will continue to grow as we continue to work alongside our local and international partners to assist those in need in Haiti. 
 
How much money has cbm received in donations for Haiti earthquake relief? 

To date cbm has pledged more than €5 million for relief, recovery and rehabilitation work in Haiti.
 
Does money raised by cbm go to the Haitian government?

cbm is not working to finance government aid or reconstruction efforts, but rather to complement them. We are working within the government’s plan of action and are partnering with local and international organizations whose missions are aligned with our own. In this way, we will maximize the power of every contribution made to cbm.
 
Why is the reconstruction of Haiti taking so long?

There are a number of reasons the rebuilding of Haiti hasn’t progressed as fast as some people might like.

• 1- The amount of rubble. As many images have indicated there is a huge amount of rubble riddling the landscape in Port au Prince. It must first be removed and put somewhere appropriate before any reconstruction can take place.
• 2- The limited amount of heavy equipment. Unfortunately, there is a limited amount of heavy equipment in Haiti that is available to clear away the rubble.
• 3- Government Reconstruction Plan. The GoH is still finalizing details of its reconstruction plan and until this plan is finalized no reconstruction can take place within the downtown core of Port au Prince.
• 4- Coodrination. The GoH lost around 20% of its national workforce in the quake and this has hampered the government’s ability to respond to the disaster and coordinate the rebuilding effort.
• 5- Landrights issues. Even once the GoH’s reconstruction plan is finalized people will have to provide proof that a piece of land is actually theirs before any reconstruction can begin on a piece a property. Unfortunately, many of these legal documents were lost in the quake, or since the property may have been handed down through generations these pieces of paper my simply not exist.
• 6- Donations slow to arrive. According to Bill Clinton, who is co-chairing Haiti’s rebuilding committee; many of governments who have pledged funds to rebuild Haiti haven’t delivered on their promises yet. Clinton says a great many rebuilding projects have been approved, but the funding has yet to arrive.
• 7- Timing. We have to remember that housing always takes the longest to get going after any disaster. The clearing, legalities, funds and coordination require time. Think about the Indian Ocean Tsunami and Katrina, two disasters that took at least five years to rebuild from.           

What is most encouraging about the work/efforts done so far?

cbm remains inspired by the courage and resilience of the Haitian people in the face of terrible devastation. Through our programs we have witnessed the stories of hope that are emerging in post-earthquake Haiti, the stories that compel us to keep working for a future in which every Haitian, especially those with a disability, cannot just survive but thrive. The most compelling stories are those of individuals who have benefited from our programs on the ground in Haiti. We are helping people, especially those with a disability, to get back on their feet and restart their lives after this devastating disaster. While the challenges are profound, we have seen the strength of the Haitian people and believe that their determination to make better lives for themselves will help Haiti rebuild.
 
For example:
Nine year old Sebastian lost his mother and the lower part of his right leg when he was trapped for three days beneath the rubble. He was the only child of a single mother. After the quake he went to live with his aunt and uncle and their eight children in a tent city. They too lost their home in the quake. Sebastian was understandably saddened at this loss. Orphaned by the quake, unable to play football and scared other kids would make fun of his injury he became reclusive. But thanks to the rehabilitation effort and the aid of a prosthetic leg provided by cbm/HI Sebastian can now be found running around the camp playing football and laughing with other children. He no longer worries about the other kids making fun of him; instead he wonders why they can’t keep up. 
 
What challenges is cbm experiencing in this response?

Early on the relief effort was hampered by the damage to vital infrastructure such as hospitals; air, sea, and land transportation facilities; as well as critical communication systems. To make matters worse, the United Nations – the main coordination body during disaster response - lost more than 100 staff when their building collapsed. On top of that the Government of Haiti lost almost 100 per cent of their municipal buildings and 40 percent of their staff were killed. Coordination and supply lines were deeply affected for weeks.
 
Today the picture is a little different, but there are still challenges. While the coordination mechanism is working better and personnel and supplies are flowing into the country the extenuating circumstances like Hurricane Tomas, the cholera outbreak and demonstrations posed during the run-up to the national elections have all affected the implementation of programmes. These challenges however will not stop cbm from working; they simple pose new obstacles that must be overcome.
 
Are aid agencies still having problems getting aid into Haiti?

cbm has not experienced any problems getting aid or staff into Haiti. Since day one cbm has primarily been using local resources and has not brought large amounts of goods into country with the exception of assistive devices and consumables for our partners involved in health care activities.
 
How many people does cbm have working in Haiti?

At the height of the emergency response cbm had 15 expat staff and 48 Haitian nationals working within the Country Coordination Office. Since day one cbm has employed 26 international staff - including 19 physio/occupational therapists – most of who were employed on short-term contracts over the past 12 months.
 
Is cbm still raising funds for Haiti relief efforts? 

cbm continues to accept funding for its Haiti response in order to support the long-term programmatic needs of our partners in country. Before the quake, cbm was working with seven local partners, five of whom were badly affected by the quake. We will continue to support these partners and their rebuilding efforts for years to come. Any donations cbm receives for Haiti will go towards supporting our current programming and these partner organizations.
 
How can I donate money to support cbm’s response?

You can donate by visiting www.cbmnz.org.nz and make a donation online.   
 
Will I receive a receipt for my online donation?

Each cbm office handles donations and receipts in accordance with their national governments requirements. Therefore, if you are interested in receiving a tax receipt for your donation you may want to contact your national cbm office for further details.
 
I’ve heard other organizations say that 100% of donations go directly to programs. Why don’t 100% of donations to cbm go toward programs?

cbm is known for its high efficiency ratio. cbm’s combined general management and fundraising percentage compares very favorably with similar international relief and development organizations. If 100% of your donations were directed solely to program costs, the support costs would need to be recovered from elsewhere. Since a small portion of your Haiti donation covers the support costs associated with the relief effort, you can be assured that our other programs and work throughout the world are not negatively affected.
 
Can I volunteer to support cbm’s relief efforts?

Right now cbm is not looking for volunteers to support our efforts in Haiti. Due to the security challenges within Haiti we are only working with qualified emergency response/rehabilitation experts hired through a recruitment process. If you think you are suitable for an employed position within cbm Haiti, please visit cbm.org and click on Get Involved and Vacancies to view these postings.
 
Some organizations may be looking for qualified volunteers with experience working on disaster relief and rebuilding efforts. To learn more about registering as qualified disaster relief volunteer, please visit the Center for International Disaster Information at www.cidi.org.  
 
What is cbm doing to guarantee the protection of all children within cbm or cbm partner programs?

The health and safety of everyone within cbm funded programs, especially children, is of the utmost importance to cbm. cbm has an extensive Child Protection Policy which outlines the procedures to be followed when dealing with beneficiaries, including children. Any international staff hired to work overseas for cbm must also agree to adhere to this police. cbm makes sure any local cbm staff or the staff of any cbm partner organization in the field signs the Child Protection Policy. This policy can be provided upon request.
 
Is it possible to adopt a child from Haiti?

cbm does not focus its efforts on child adoption. Our main focus is on providing medical interventions, education and support for those living with a disability, their families and communities.

How does cbm assess the progress (or lack of progress) made over the past year in the recovery efforts and how the aid priorities may have shifted since then?

We at cbm believe there has been a lot of progress made in Haiti to date. For instance, prior to the earthquake, rehabilitative care in Haiti was virtually non-existent. There was no training ground for physio/occupational therapists within the country. Since the quake cbm and HI have positioned more than 20 physio/occupational therapists along with local rehabilitation technicians in 12 hospitals throughout Port au Prince. The staff deal with primary injuries from the quake, refer patients for secondary medical treatments, prescribe/fit assistive devices, and educate patients and their family on the safe and appropriate use of the assistive devices. Since July cbm has been training local staff as Rehab Techs. These Techs are learning on-the-job from cbm PTs/OTs how to provide rehabilitative care and how to prepare the patients and their families to return to community living. cbm is also developing local capacity for in-patient orthopedic, stroke and spinal cord injury care and out-patient clubfoot, orthopedic and hand therapy care. This is evidence that progress is being made and lasting, measurable impacts are taking place in the areas of health care that will serve Haitians for generations to come. 
 

DATE Jan 6, 2011