January 12th, 2010, marked a particularly tragic day in Haiti's history. The effects of the earthquake on the country's already impoverished population and infrastructure were immediate and catastrophic; out of a population of over 10 million, an estimated 3 million people were directly affected. The quake shattered the capital and neighboring cities, crippling the national government, leaving families to mourn the devastating loss of more than 230,000 lives, including an estimated 25% of civil servants. Nearly 400,000 homes and 5,000 schools were destroyed or damaged and more than 1.6 million people were rendered homeless.
For Save the Children, the numerous challenges encumbering Haiti and the sheer scale of this emergency made this one of the most difficult humanitarian responses in our history. Haiti presented-and still presents-a challenging environment for Save the Children and others addressing the needs of those who were impacted by the earthquake. With the government of Haiti taking the lead, Save the Children and other local and international nonprofit organizations as well as donor governments and multilateral institutions such as the World Bank and UN continue to work together to build strong national institutions and community infrastructure.
At the outset of the crisis we initiated a multi-year recovery and development strategy. Backed by the generosity of our donors, we have reached over 1 million Haitian children and adults through earthquake relief and recovery programs. We have sheltered families; provided access to lifesaving health and water and sanitary services; have helped protect children from exploitation; and have helped re-open schools and make them better able to withstand disasters. When cholera raged-and the disease remains a serious threat to the health of every Haitian- Save the Children supplied hospitals with medicine, opened cholera treatment units and raised awareness of cholera prevention techniques.
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