Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors is deeply saddened by the devastation brought upon the people of Haiti by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck near Port-au-Prince on January 12. Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas and has inadequate emergency response infrastructure to respond to the earthquake. Donations and aid will be absolutely essential to the country’s immediate and long-term recovery.

CURRENT SITUATION

There are widespread reports of unmet demand for immediate search-and-rescue efforts and medical treatment. As the situation progresses, the spread of disease and a shortage of clean water, food and shelter is expected to persist.

Haiti was unprepared financially, politically, and structurally to respond to a disaster of this magnitude. Compounded by a lack of infrastructure, diminished natural resources, and a turbulent political history, the country desperately needs immediate relief but is certain to require long-term aid for its reconstruction.

EMERGENCY AID

Donors who want to help now should focus on organizations that have the capacity to deliver emergency services rapidly. There are many organizations on the ground and others that are quickly gearing up to deliver large-scale aid. The physical extent of the damage in Port-Au-Prince has made it difficult even for organizations with field offices to maintain normal operations.

Donors should be clear-eyed about the difficult logistical problems that nonprofits will have delivering aid and care. Nonprofits that have not worked in Haiti will have greater difficulty delivering help in a responsive way. The most helpful grant is cash, thereby avoiding the difficulty of transporting goods to the affected region.

For immediate response contributions, RPA recommends the following international aid organizations:

• Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti - A model for health care facilities in developing countries and located in Port-au-Prince and Deschapelles. Though they withstood the earthquake and are operating with full staff, seeking funds for replacement medicine and supplies and to pay overtime wages to 900 Haitian personnel.
• UNICEF - Has been in Haiti since 1949 and is coordinating with all UN agencies on the ground to provide supplies for access to adequate sanitation, safe water and basic health care, especially for children. Airlifted 10,000 tarpaulins, 4,600 water containers, 5.5 million water-purification tablets, 556,000 oral rehydration sachets and other supplies to meet the basic needs of up to 10,000 families. Supply shipments for an additional 20,000 families are in the works for the coming days.
• CARE - Has 133 personnel on the ground, many of whom were sent to respond to 2008’s Hurricane Hanna. They have partnered with Delta Air Lines to deploy more emergency staff and are distributing high-protein biscuits from their warehouses in Haiti.
• Oxfam International - Emergency response team for Latin America is based in Haiti, with 100 staff and 15 emergency specialists. Sent six extra staff and materials from Oxfordshire warehouse, including plastic sheeting and equipment for water distribution, purification and storage.
• Catholic Relief Services - Has worked in Haiti for 55 years with 340 staff (120 in Port-au-Prince); has made an immediate commitment of $5 million for supplies including plastic sheeting, hygiene kits, mosquito nets and water purification tablets.
• Save The Children - Has worked in Haiti for 25 years with 100 staff, some of whom are as yet unaccounted for; setting up shelter and child-friendly spaces.
• Partners In Health - More than 120 doctors and nearly 500 nurses and nursing assistants in Haiti; facilities are two hours outside of Port-au-Prince but they have set up a supply chain through the Dominican Republic to establish mobile field hospitals in the capital.
• American Red Cross - Has released $10 million to support relief efforts. In addition to the 15 Red Cross staff already in Haiti, six disaster management specialists are being deployed to the disaster zone to help coordinate relief efforts. At this time, the American Red Cross is only deploying volunteers specially trained to manage international emergency operations.
• Merlin USA - A global health specialist that delivers emergency medical aid during crises, then stays on to rebuild. In Haiti, they are deploying emergency medical teams, running operating theaters and clinics, and have sent 33 tons of relief supplies and enough medicines to treat 70,000 people for the next three months. They are now expanding disease control and strengthening local health structures and training local health workers to rebuild Haiti’s health system over the long term.

LONGER-TERM REBUILDING EFFORTS

While the immediate situation is dire, experience shows that longer-term reconstruction will require thoughtful approaches and there will be many needs ranging from mental health counseling to housing reconstruction. RPA recommends that donors work with experienced intermediaries to ensure that grants support country-wide infrastructure development, sustainable community building, and counseling for those traumatized.

Donors should be mindful of the limited number of grassroots nonprofits with capacity and lack of civil infrastructure. The people of Haiti have suffered from institutional corruption in the past, leaving foreign governments hesitant to funnel aid through its political system. This trust gap has only worsened the situation for the desperately poor in Haiti and innovative approaches will be necessary to reach people in a positive way.

RPA’s experience in promoting the unmet needs of Haiti and the Caribbean region, and in operating complex disaster recovery programs following 9/11, Katrina and the Sichuan earthquake have shown that thoughtful, needs-based and sustainable approaches are key to effective physical and economic reconstruction efforts.

Local/country-specific organizations providing direct aid that will be crucial to Haiti’s rebuilding efforts:

• Lambi Fund of Haiti - A US-based grassroots organization founded in 1994 to strengthen civil society in Haiti, seeks funds to rebuild the country after initial relief work. They will replenish food and livestock for peasant communities and rebuild economic development enterprises such as grain mills and repair water cisterns. They will also use funds to replace Lambi staff’s missing belongings, including food, clothes and furniture.
• Fonkoze - The largest microfinance organization in Haiti, with 40 branches across the country specifically serving women, will play a role in Haiti’s longer-term economic recovery. Their main office was devastated in the earthquake and they are collecting donations to rehabilitate their organization. With 765 employees, they serve 55,000 borrowers and 175,000 savers, with a combined $12mm portfolio.