irishspirit
11th January 2011, 19:05
One year on from the earthquake in Haiti, not enough has been done to help those affected, according to Cambridgeshire charities working there.
The 7.0 magnitude quake struck 10 miles from the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on 12 January 2010.
Elizabeth Tofaris is from SOS Children's Villages which runs two purpose-built homes in Haiti.
"There are still over one million children and families living in terrible tent cities," she said.
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 following the earthquake.
But, as Elizabeth Tofaris from Cambridge-based SOS explained, Haiti was already suffering before the earthquake hit.
"One child in 13 was dying before the age of five and half of Haiti's children weren't even attending school," she said
"So even before, there was a lot to be done. We were there before the earthquake and we'll stay there."
She described conditions in the tent cities as appalling and said there was still very little available water or medicine.
"We really do need to think about long-term rebuilding, but because of the cholera outbreak and the hurricane, a proper reconstruction programme has yet to begin.
"Since the earthquake we've welcomed in hundreds more children to our two SOS villages, which provide purpose-built homes for orphaned and abandoned children, and we're now extremely crowded."
She continued: "We managed to reunite 165 children with their parents, but if we can't find the families of the rest of them, they will continue to live with us for the long term."
SOS Children's Villages has also set up 16 feeding centres and around 14,000 children are receiving daily meals there.
"We're really thinking about reconstruction though, and we've turned out a 12-year plan, which is so important because we need to change lives sustainably through education, housing and medical centres that will help Haiti in the long term. This isn't just about emergency aid.
"We've been working in Haiti since 1979 and we've got no plans of going anywhere," said Mrs Tofaris.
"In fact, we're going to be building a third village in Les Cayes, in south-western Haiti, just to help us cope with the number of children orphaned by the quake.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cambridgeshire/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9353000/9353601.stm
CLINTON, BUSH AND THE OTHER BASTARDS, WHERE IS THESE PEOPLE MONEY FOR FOOD, MEDICINE AND REBUILD GONE?
This makes me so angry
The 7.0 magnitude quake struck 10 miles from the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on 12 January 2010.
Elizabeth Tofaris is from SOS Children's Villages which runs two purpose-built homes in Haiti.
"There are still over one million children and families living in terrible tent cities," she said.
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 following the earthquake.
But, as Elizabeth Tofaris from Cambridge-based SOS explained, Haiti was already suffering before the earthquake hit.
"One child in 13 was dying before the age of five and half of Haiti's children weren't even attending school," she said
"So even before, there was a lot to be done. We were there before the earthquake and we'll stay there."
She described conditions in the tent cities as appalling and said there was still very little available water or medicine.
"We really do need to think about long-term rebuilding, but because of the cholera outbreak and the hurricane, a proper reconstruction programme has yet to begin.
"Since the earthquake we've welcomed in hundreds more children to our two SOS villages, which provide purpose-built homes for orphaned and abandoned children, and we're now extremely crowded."
She continued: "We managed to reunite 165 children with their parents, but if we can't find the families of the rest of them, they will continue to live with us for the long term."
SOS Children's Villages has also set up 16 feeding centres and around 14,000 children are receiving daily meals there.
"We're really thinking about reconstruction though, and we've turned out a 12-year plan, which is so important because we need to change lives sustainably through education, housing and medical centres that will help Haiti in the long term. This isn't just about emergency aid.
"We've been working in Haiti since 1979 and we've got no plans of going anywhere," said Mrs Tofaris.
"In fact, we're going to be building a third village in Les Cayes, in south-western Haiti, just to help us cope with the number of children orphaned by the quake.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cambridgeshire/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9353000/9353601.stm
CLINTON, BUSH AND THE OTHER BASTARDS, WHERE IS THESE PEOPLE MONEY FOR FOOD, MEDICINE AND REBUILD GONE?
This makes me so angry