Since August 2021, Humanity & Inclusion has been responding to support the communities affected by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Haiti through rehabilitation and mental health services, logistics and clearance activities, hygiene supply distribution and inclusive humanitarian action.

Deliver emergency aid to Haiti

On August 14, a powerful earthquake brought destruction and devastation to the people of Haiti. Relying on past experiences in emergency earthquake response, Humanity & Inclusion prepares to intervene.  

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the coast of Haiti early Saturday morning, resulting in severe damage, injury and deaths. Initial reports by the National Emergency Operations Center say the disaster has resulted in at least 700 deaths and 1,800 people with injuries.

With an epicenter about 8 miles from Petit Trou de Nippes, the most affected areas are the South, Nippes and Grande Anse regions of Haiti, where hundreds of homes, schools and hospitals have been damaged or destroyed. Beyond the risks caused by the tremor, Haiti remains under alert for Tropical Storm Grace, rising sea levels and tsunami in the coming days.

Assessing Needs

With reports of nearly 2,000 people injured already, the most pressing needs are for medical attention and care for the wounded. Hospitals are overwhelmed by the heightened demand, piling atop the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and damages sustained to their buildings. Several have called for emergency reinforcement.

In any natural disaster, people with disabilities, women, children and aging people are the most likely to be negatively affected. During the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit the country in 2010, Humanity & Inclusion teams saw the devastating effect on these populations. Between 2,000 and 4,000 people had limbs amputated from injuries caused by the 2010 earthquake. More than 90,000 people received rehabilitation care to prevent the onset of permanent injuries. Humanity & Inclusion teams say this situation could be similar.  

“From our previous experience, we’re expecting an enormous need for rehabilitation,” says Anissa Bouachria, Humanity & Inclusion’s Emergency Pool Manager. “There are thousands injured, and many of those injuries may worsen or turn into permanent disabilities. Beyond this, people have experienced significant trauma and will need psychosocial support in addition to basic needs like food, water, shelter and items for personal hygiene.” 

Read the latest updates

Response Plan

Humanity & Inclusion, already present in Haiti, is assessing the evolving situation and preparing plans for intervention. At this time, teams are working closely with local authorities to identify the most pressing needs and possibilities. Additional Humanity & Inclusion emergency teams have been activated, and will be sent for reinforcement as soon as possible.

Among the greatest needs for the population, the following have been identified as potential areas of Humanity & Inclusion intervention given the organization’s expertise:

• Rehabilitation services and distribution of mobility aids
• Psychosocial and mental health support
• Logistics support
• Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH)
• Basic needs (food access, shelter, cash transfers)

Humanity & Inclusion in Haiti

Humanity & Inclusion has been active in Haiti since 2008 and has developed a close relationship to the community. The organization has been an active part of disaster relief interventions related to the 2010 earthquake and 2016 Hurricane Matthew, while ensuring an inclusive humanitarian response in these efforts. Among other activities of inclusive livelihood and rehabilitation, Humanity & Inclusion also set up the first DVFP (disability and vulnerability focal points) and partnered with the Office of the Secretary of State for the Inclusion of People with Disabilities. Today, Humanity & Inclusion remains committed to serving the people of Haiti during this time of great need.

Image: A young girl clears debris following destruction of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Copyright: William Daniels/HI Archives - 2010

Moïse lost his leg in 2010, when Haiti was struck by a powerful earthquake. With support from Humanity & Inclusion donors, he received an artificial limb and the chance to reclaim his childhood.

Moïse was just 4 when a powerful, 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010. He was buried beneath rubble, emerging with such grave injuries that doctors had to amputate his left leg a week later.

Without crutches, crawling was his only way to move around. Humanity & Inclusion’s team met Moïse, and fit him with a custom-made prosthetic. Rehabilitation professionals helped Moïse regain strength, balance, and eventually the ability to walk again through regular physical therapy sessions.

Moïse was one of 90,000 Haitians who received rehabilitation support from Humanity & Inclusion (then Handicap International) following the devastating earthquake. Humanity & Inclusion continues to work along Haitians toward long-term recovery plans and future disaster preparedness. Read more about Humanity & Inclusion's work in response to the Haiti earthquake.

Moïse, who will turn 15 in March, lives with his parents and younger brother. Eleven years after the earthquake, he still stays in touch with Humanity & Inclusion staff for continued rehabilitation support. His ongoing care includes new prosthetics as he grows, as well as regular adjustments. Staff also connect him to medical care in case he needs revision surgery.

Moïse loves playing soccer, going to school, and participating in extracurricular activities including basket-weaving and even classical dance.

Header Image: A teenage boy named Moïse holds a soccer ball with the HI logo on it. Two younger boys stand on either side of him. Moïse lost his leg in the Haiti earthquake and wears an artificial limb. Copyright: Davide Preti/HI

Inline Image Left: Moïse, age 4, practices walking with his new prosthetic leg after the Haiti earthquake. Copyright: William Daniels/HI

Inline Image Right: Moïse, now a teenager, smiles and pumps his fist. He's wearing an artificial limb. Copyright: Davide Preti/HI

After the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, Humanity & Inclusion (known then as Handicap International) deployed one of the largest emergency response operations in its history. Eleven years later, its work with the most vulnerable people continues.

Haiti was devastated by the earthquake that killed more than 230,000 people and injured more than 300,000. "In 2010, when the earthquake struck Haiti, there was almost no rehabilitation service in the country," explains Sylvia Sommella, Humanity & Inclusion's director in Haiti.

Humanity & Inclusion mobilized hundreds of people and with record levels of donor support deployed unprecedented means to help those affected. In the earthquake’s wake, Humanity & Inclusion:

• provided rehabilitation care to 90,000 people;
• equipped more than 1,400 people with assistive devices;
• distributed more than 5,000 wheelchairs, crutches and walkers;
• extended psychosocial support to more than 25,000 people;
• built more than 1,000 temporary homes;
• and delivered more than 20,000 tons of humanitarian aid.

Building capacity in Haiti

Today, Humanity & Inclusion continues to help the Haitian population in executing a long-term disaster response.

"Thanks to the support of Humanity & Inclusion, which launched the first training of rehabilitation technicians following the earthquake, it is now possible to benefit from rehabilitation sessions in different infrastructures," Sommella explains. "Humanity & Inclusion continues to support health structures, strives to make rehabilitation centers accessible to all, and ensures qualified medical staff."

In the first six years following the disaster, Humanity & Inclusion trained 86 new medical experts, who are still working Haiti today. This training was supported by USAID. Training is ongoing for rehabilitation technicians and physical therapists continue to develop their skills through virtual coaching.

Preparing for future disasters

Humanity & Inclusion has made it a priority to work with people living in remote areas, so they can be prepared and protected should disaster strike again. That work includes providing partner organizations with shipping and storage services to ensure humanitarian supplies are available to the most vulnerable families for future natural disasters and emergencies.

In addition to disaster preparedness, Humanity & Inclusion is also working alongside Haitians to create economic and employment opportunities and fight Covid-19.

Image: A woman works on an artificial leg in 2017 at a rehabilitation center supported by Humanity & Inclusion. Copyright: Nadia Todres/HI

A 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit Pakistan's Jhelum city in the province of Punjab Tuesday, Sept. 24, killing at least 38 people and injuring 646. Humanity & Inclusion plans to offer its expertise in post-earthquake response, and is currently evaluating of the needs of the more than 7,000 families affected.

Pakistan Authorities are addressing immediate emergency needs, distributing 570 tents, 1,000 blankets and 21 tons of food items. However many needs are still not covered, particularly for 500 severely injured people in need of trauma care and physical rehabilitation.

HI has been working alongside the government since the quake, and will carry out a specific needs assessment in Mirpur (Azad Jammu & Kashmir), on Saturday, Sept. 28.

Based on our experience in past emergencies, we expect that needs may include physical rehabilitation. “Following earthquakes, people who suffer from traumas, such as crushing, fractures and spinal injuries caused by collapsing buildings, need specific care," explains Mehdi Iken, Pakistan Country Director. "Our physical therapists regularly take over from surgeons in hospitals and provide post-operative care and rehabilitation sessions to limit the onset of disabling consequences of an injury.”

It's possible that Humanity & Inclusion will provide psychosocial support, and protection and inclusion services. The local team, which has worked in Pakistan since the 1980s, hopes to work with all actors to ensure that people with disabilities, and vulnerable groups have fair access to humanitarian assistance.

Photo: JATLAN, PAKISTAN—A view of a badly damaged house days after a powerful earthquake with magnitude of 5.8 hit the area in Jatlan town in the Mirpur District in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, on September 26, 2019.

This literature review examined spinal cord injury survivors of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Pakistan, the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in China, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

The effects of an earthquake in an urban area can be devastating. Often much is destroyed, including significant materials and human public health infrastructures, communication and transportation networks, as well as medical facilities. There are also vast individual risk factors to be conscious of, including pre-existing disabilities, extremes of age, chronic illness, and lack of mobility. 

Proper care and knowledge regarding spinal cord injuries is critical in any emergency response, such as an earthquake; on-scene spinal immobilization, intravenous access and maintenance of cervical alignment are critical. In addition, rapid referral to a multidisciplinary care facility with appropriate rehabilitation services is essential.  

Download the report:

Medical rehabilitation of spinal cord injury following earthquakes

On January 12, 2010 an earthquake of Richter magnitude 7.0 occurred off the coast of Haiti and near to its capital of Port au Prince. The number of injured estimated at perhaps 300,000, with 4,000 amputations reported. The nature and scale of the international response was documented and Haiti was overwhelmed and unable to control or contain the flow of this aid.  

The disaster response environment in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake represented a complex healthcare challenge. This study was designed to identify challenges during the Haiti disaster response through qualitative and quantitative study of injured patients. It was carried out six months after the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti to review the surgical inputs of foreign medical teams.

This study showed that challenges for emergency medical response during the Haiti Earthquake involved issues of accountability, professional ethics, standards of care, unmet needs, patient agency, and expected outcomes for patients in such settings.

Download the Report:

The Surgical and Rehabilitation Response to the Haiti Earthquake

The impact of the earthquake and tsunami that hit Indonesia on September 28 continues to be felt. Liquefaction, when saturated soil becomes liquidated, has engulfed entire villages, leaving more than 10,000 people injured and 800 missing.

Preparing to supply aid 

HI's emergency team is on the ground, preparing to supply appropriate aid to victims of the tsunami and its aftermath. "Our four HI experts have split into two teams,” explains Fanny Mraz, Director of HI's emergency teams. “One team is in the southern Sulawesi island city of Makkasar, which is home to an airport that can dispatch aid to the affected areas. The other team is in Jakarta, coordinating HI's response with the other organizations.

“The consequences of the tsunami, such as landslides and liquefaction, prevented rescue teams from gaining immediate access to some of the seriously affected areas.”

Humanitarian actors in Indonesia, including HI and its partner CIS-Timor, meet to organize aid for victims in Palu, Sulawesi.

Assessment of health needs

Despite these challenges, HI will soon complete our assessment of the health needs of tsunami victims and its consequences in Sulawesi, including rehabilitation, mental health, and psychosocial support. Our local partner, CIS-Timor, is analyzing the priority needs of those affected. “It’s clear that the greatest need is to assist the injured and to prevent the spread of diseases and respiratory infections, resulting from damage to water infrastructure.” Fanny adds.

Logistics challenges

"The situation on the ground is complicated and our teams face many challenges. More than 68% of health centers are not functioning correctly, which explains overcrowding in local hospitals. More than 10,000 people have been injured—among them, 2,000 have serious injures—and the numbers are rising. Because we are present in Makassar, we could provide material aid to victims very quickly, such as crutches or kits to cover essential needs.”

Humanity & Inclusion in Indonesia

HI has worked in Indonesia since 2005, regularly providing support to victims of natural disasters. Our team organizes disaster prevention workshops, and workshops to improve community resilience. Learn more about our work in Indonesia.

Photo caption (top of page): Damage in Palu's city center, Sulawesi following the earthquake and tsunami which struck Indonesia on Sept. 28.

A powerful earthquake struck Indonesia’s island of Sulawesi, triggering a violent tsunami measuring nearly 20 feet. The official death toll has passed 1,400, with more than 2,500 injured. Many hospitals have been damaged and more than 65,000 people are displaced. Humanity & Inclusion’s support team of experts is on the ground, coordinating our emergency response with local organizations.

As the situation begins to stabilize and access to the worst affected areas becomes possible, the number of victims continues to rise. “We have sent a sizeable team of emergency experts from HI to help," says Fanny Mraz, director of HI's emergency teams.

“When patients arrive in hospitals, in large numbers, our priority is to provide immediate rehabilitation care in order to prevent irreversible damage, including a permanent disability. We will also ensure that patients have psychological support, because this type of situation can be traumatizing.

"We are not working alone. Two of our local partner organizations are traveling to the Palu region to assess the needs there. In order to provide the best possible assistance to as many victims as possible, it is important to work with local medical teams who are already present in hospitals.”

Humanity & Inclusion in Indonesia

HI has worked in Indonesia since 2005, regularly providing support to victims of natural disasters. Our team organizes disaster prevention workshops, and workshops to improve community resilience. Learn more about our work in Indonesia.

Photo caption (top of page): People drive past a washed up boat and collapsed buildings in Palu on October 1, 2018, after an earthquake and tsunami hit the area.