According to the latest reports, at least 1,300 people have died, more than 5,700 are injured and the damages are significant. Sibille Buehlmann, rehabilitation specialist for Humanity & Inclusion, felt the earth shake on Saturday, Aug. 14. She took time on Sunday to share her experience from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Here's what she said: 

A population traumatized

The earthquake was felt throughout the country. Immediately after, everyone went out into the street, outside the buildings, to protect themselves from possible collapses. This is the safety protocol here in case of an earthquake. 

The cell phone networks were saturated. Everyone was checking on their relatives. At Humanity & Inclusion, we immediately checked on the situation of each team member. Everyone was safe. 

There were aftershocks during the day and late into the night. It's exhausting. For many, in addition to the deaths and injuries, the earthquake reawakens the trauma of 2010, when a terrible earthquake killed over 200,000 people. I have friends in the north of the country who slept outside at night for fear of the tremors.

Deliver emergency aid to Haiti

A 7.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Haiti on August 14, resulting in more than 2,200 deaths and more than 12,700 injuries*. Hundreds of people are still missing.

The quake damaged at least 137,000 homes, as well as churches, bridges, piers, and other infrastructure.

Our Haitian teams are working closely with local authorities and partners to identify the most pressing needs. Additional Humanity & Inclusion emergency teams are activated for reinforcement.

Humanity & Inclusion's interventions include:

• Rehabilitation services and distribution of mobility aids for people with injuries, and people with disabilities
• Psychosocial and mental health support
• Logistics support to transport critical aid (HI already had a fleet of 10 boats serving the hardest-hit region.)
• Water, sanitation and hygiene services
• Basic needs items, such as food, shelter, and cash transfers

Humanity & Inclusion teams have been working in Haiti since 2008. In the immediate aftermath of the 2010 earthquake, staff rushed to provide emergency rehabilitation, mobility aids and essential supplies — while ensuring an inclusive humanitarian response. Since then, Humanity & Inclusion has continued to work alongside impacted communities through inclusive livelihood projects, rehabilitation and disaster preparedness planning.

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Read the latest updates

*Casualty figures are updated as information becomes available.
Image: People search the rubble of a destroyed hotel after the August 14, 2021, earthquake in Haiti. Copyright: Stanley Louis/AFP

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

Introduction

When Covid-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020, Humanity & Inclusion mobilized its teams to help the most vulnerable people affected by the crisis. Providing emergency response in almost all the countries where Humanity & Inclusion works has been a major challenge, especially since its emergency teams are normally able to focus their efforts on a handful of countries or regions. Humanity & Inclusion therefore provided emergency response and adapted its routine projects to help all those in need.

As of December 2020, more than 65 million people worldwide have been infected with Covid-19 and more than 1.5 million people have died.

While the epidemic has hit Western countries extremely hard, it is also affecting many countries in Asia, the Middle East, South and Central America and Africa, which are already affected by violent conflicts, political and socio-economic crises, frequent natural disasters, and significant climate change. Thousands of people need assistance.

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, Humanity & Inclusion has:

• Provided response in 46 of the 50 countries where it works;
• Implemented more than 160 projects in aid of people affected by the Covid-19 crisis;
• Given assistance to more than 2 million people between March and August 2020 alone;
• Provided more than 1.6 million people with information on Covid-19 prevention measures;
• Distributed more than 138,000 hygiene kits containing hand sanitizer, soaps, and other items;
• Distributed more than 800,000 masks;
• Provided food to more than 6,800 vulnerable families;
• Organized thousands of psychosocial support sessions for people who feel insecure or traumatized as a result of the crisis;
• Conducted thousands of tele-rehabilitation sessions in countries where a strict lockdown has been imposed to continue providing its routine services to people in need.

Beyond its impact on health, Covid-19 has had a considerable effect on children’s education. According to a Unesco report, some 1.6 billion children and teenagers have been deprived of school education in 190 countries as a result of the pandemic. The situation is even more worrying for children with disabilities, who find it harder to access education.

This pandemic has also considerably increased poverty and food insecurity. People in 25 countries are expected to face devastating levels of hunger in the coming months due to the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of acute food insecure people could increase from 149 million before the pandemic to 270 million.

Identifying the needs of the most vulnerable people

Humanity & Inclusion's teams and volunteers trained by the organization have identified the needs of the most vulnerable people including older people, single women with children, people with disabilities, migrant populations, and refugees. Those with the greatest needs are receiving direct assistance such as awareness sessions, distribution of hygiene kits, food assistance, cash transfers, and psychosocial support, or referrals to an organization that can offer them appropriate care, including healthcare for those infected with Covid-19.

Leading awareness-raising sessions

More than 1.6 million people affected by the pandemic have taken part in awareness sessions in villages and communities in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South America and the Caribbean, and at home. Humanity & Inclusion has provided people with information on Covid-19, including the risk of transmission and prevention measures, through group meetings in villages, refugee camps, and the like; one-on-one sessions; and awareness campaigns based on leaflets, posters, and other materials. The organization has also aired programs on radio and TV. For example, in Nepal, Humanity & Inclusion has produced videos with subtitles and in sign language adapted to people with hearing difficulties, in partnership with the World Health Organization, which have been aired on Nepalese television.

Offering psychosocial support

Humanity & Inclusion has provided psychosocial support to people affected by the pandemic and the trauma it has caused, from economic hardships to loss of family and friends. More than 225,000 people received psychosocial support, including by telephone, from Humanity & Inclusion. The organization has also provided support to medical staff who are on the front line.

Distributing hygiene items, food, and cash

Humanity & Inclusion has distributed more than 138,000 hygiene kits composed of hand sanitizer, soaps, cleaning supplies, and the like. More than 800,000 masks have also been provided to people who need them.

In many countries, the food supply chain has been disrupted by border closures and lockdown measures. In Bolivia, especially, it is more complicated to access food in cities. Price inflation has soared and many people, who have lost their jobs, have found it more difficult to access food. Humanity & Inclusion has provided food assistance to more than 6,800 families by distributing goods, cash transfers, non-perishable foods, fresh produce from partner organizations, and so on.

Humanity & Inclusion has also identified people living in situations of extreme vulnerability, including refugees and families living in extreme poverty, and provided them with cash transfers to access basic services and meet their basic needs such as paying rent, buying food, and going to the doctor. So far, 7,565 families have received cash transfers from Humanity & Inclusion.

Transporting humanitarian supplies

The measures put in place to combat the spread of Covid-19 have entrenched humanitarian crises and made it harder to implement humanitarian aid projects. Faced with the difficulties of transporting humanitarian supplies and mobility issues caused by lockdowns, quarantines and other restrictions, Humanity & Inclusion, through its logistics department, has shifted the focus of its operations in Central African Republic, Bangladesh and Mali. News projects were also implemented in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti for the transport and shared storage of health and humanitarian equipment, the repair of airport runways and roads to isolated health centers, and the like.

Humanity & Inclusion has also mobilized three experts from the Réseau Logistique Humanitaire (RLH) to coordinate airlifts to 12 countries. More than 141,000 cubic feet of emergency supplies and 1,200 humanitarian and medical staff were transported as part of this operation.

Conducting tele-rehabilitation sessions

Humanity & Inclusion continued providing rehabilitation care to patients who need it by adapting its working methods to the Covid-19 pandemic. Where the situation allowed, physical therapists continued to provide care in rehabilitation centers in compliance with safety rules such as social distancing and mask-wearing.

In countries where lockdowns were imposed, online tele-rehabilitation sessions have enabled thousands of patients to continue doing their physical therapy exercises at home by watching videos or receiving instructions via telephone, WhatsApp, and other technology. Humanity & Inclusion has organized thousands of tele-rehabilitation sessions in Nepal, for example, and developed virtual rehabilitation apps in Rwanda and Vietnam.

Promoting safety and inclusion

Humanity & Inclusion referred more than 470 people with the greatest protection needs, such as single women, isolated children, and refugees to specialized organizations able to offer them appropriate support.

Lastly, Humanity & Inclusion’s teams trained 201 staff from partner humanitarian organizations to include the most vulnerable people such as people with disabilities, isolated women, and older people in activities organized for victims of the Covid-19 crisis. The aim is to ensure that no one is left behind.

Help Humanity & Inclusion continue its global response to Covid-19:

Before January 12, 2010, the rehabilitation network was very underdeveloped in Haiti, with just a few professionals working in the sector. Change came with the earthquake which hit the country almost ten years ago.

Humanitarian workers arrived in massive numbers from all four corners of the world, assisting the 300,000 people injured in the earthquake. Given that other natural disasters were likely to occur in the future, Humanity & Inclusion (then Handicap International) started looking for a more sustainable solution. In 2012, Humanity & Inclusion’s team collaborated with the Don Bosco University in El Salvador to develop two training courses: one 2-year course for rehabilitation technicians and another 2.5-year course for orthopedic technicians.

Guetchly-Nise Alcime was one of the first students to sign up. “I was working as a nurse,” she recalls. “After the 12th of January, there were a lot of healthcare professionals, including nurses, in the country. But the rehabilitation sector was only just starting to develop. There were lots of job opportunities, so when I heard about the training course, I signed up.” Guetchly-Nise now works in a rehabilitation center in Port-au-Prince, providing support for amputees who have phantom pain.  

Mario Pasquet also took a rehabilitation technician training course run by Humanity & Inclusion. After obtaining his diploma, along with other former students, he created ASHATP—the Haitian Association of Physical Therapy Technicians. “We wanted to promote rehabilitation and our work with people with injuries and/or disabilities,” he explains. “We run awareness-raising campaigns against the stigmatization of disability and support rehabilitation technicians looking for jobs.”

“Thanks to Humanity & Inclusion, we now have enough rehabilitation technicians to work in the field,” adds Mario Pasquet, the President of ASHATP. “Rehabilitation in Haiti has taken a huge step forward. People have a better understanding of what physical therapy is and know that there are centers they can go to if they need. Port-au-Prince now has two universities where students can study physical therapy. There are also organizations like ASHATP which defend the sector’s interests at a national level to obtain greater recognition.”

For Humanity & Inclusion, it’s inspiring for us to see the progress made in Haiti's rehabilitation sector over the past decade. We encourage the Ministry of Health to continue with this work and to include rehabilitation in its healthcare policy systematically.

Haiti's 2010 earthquake

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti, killing 230,000 people and injuring more than 300,000 others.

In the wake of the disaster, Humanity & Inclusion ramped up its operations, and mobilized about 600 people who deployed unprecedented levels of resources and assistance.

Humanity & Inclusion's impact, by the numbers:

• 90,000 people with rehabilitation care (click here to watch Christella's story!)
  
• 25,000 people with psychosocial support
• 1,400 people with orthopedic braces or artificial limbs (click here to watch a video of Moise!)
  
• 5,000+ wheelchairs, crutches and walking frames to people with disabilities
• 1,050 shelters for extremely vulnerable families
• 20,000+ tons of aid for people affected by the disaster

Today, we’re still helping Haitians with disabilities stand tall.
Donate to support our ongoing work.

NOTE: until Jan 2018, Humanity & Inclusion was known as Handicap International.

"My prosthesis is not really a problem for me, the opposite, in fact—I'm proud of it!, explains Maryse. “Without a prosthesis, my life would be much more complicated.” Maryse, 44, was injured in the earthquake that struck Haiti ten years ago, causing her to lose her right leg. Since then, she's held her head high! 

Maryse had her right leg amputated two weeks after the earthquake. When she developed a life-threatening infection, doctors were left with no other option. "I thought about my children and realized I couldn't let my amputation end it all. I haven't shed a single tear. I've always looked on the bright side, and I've had a lot of support."

Four months after the operation, Maryse was fitted with her first prosthesis and learned to walk again in a rehabilitation center supported by Humanity & Inclusion. Our team also helped Maryse open a small store. Now, she sells food and charcoal from a small stall outside her home.

For Maryse, life has turned out to be not so different since the earthquake: "It's true, I could run and move faster before, but apart from that, my life is pretty much the same. I manage. I still have my little shop. My children go to school. And best of all, I'm still alive. Of course, I have a disability. But today, my prosthesis has become a real leg—my leg."

When she meets other people with disabilities, she suggests they get fitted with an orthopedic device. Maryse can't imagine life without her prosthesis now. And that's what worries her: "I'm dependent on my prosthesis, and it wears out. It needs to be adjusted regularly. It's always on my mind."

Humanity & Inclusion continues to support Maryse, and in 2019, she was fitted with a new prosthesis.

Haiti's 2010 earthquake

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti, killing 230,000 people and injuring more than 300,000 others.

In the wake of the disaster, Humanity & Inclusion ramped up its operations, and mobilized about 600 people who deployed unprecedented levels of resources and assistance.

Humanity & Inclusion's impact, by the numbers:

• 90,000 people with rehabilitation care (click here to watch Christella's story!)
• 25,000 people with psychosocial support
• 1,400 people with orthopedic braces or artificial limbs (click here to watch a video of Moise!)
• 5,000+ wheelchairs, crutches and walking frames to people with disabilities
• 1,050 shelters for extremely vulnerable families
• 20,000+ tons of aid for people affected by the disaster

Today, we’re still helping Haitians with disabilities stand tall.
Donate to support our ongoing work.

NOTE: until Jan 2018, Humanity & Inclusion was known as Handicap International.

Marie Orbenia Cadet lives with her four daughters in a small apartment in Port-au-Prince. "They're all lovely girls," she says. Christella, 20, is the youngest. When she was just ten-years-old, she was injured in a violent earthquake, and her leg had to be amputated.

Humanity & Inclusion’s rehabilitation team met Christella and provided her with essential physical therapy to help her regain strength in her limb. Later, our experts fit her with her first prosthesis and helped her learn to walk again. Her mother also received financial support from Humanity & Inclusion to open a small store, which enables her to support her family.

Christella doesn’t remember much about the day the earth shook in Haiti. She prefers to think about the future. She graduated from secondary school last summer and wants to continue her studies, but she's torn between medicine and business management.

After spending so much time in the hospital, she’s considering a career in medicine. "When I was in the hospital after the earthquake, a nurse gave me an injection, and it really hurt,” she says. “I don't think she was doing it right. If a doctor had been present, I would have been treated better. If I become a doctor, I can provide patients with better care."

The only affordable university is in a district where violence can flair suddenly up at the slightest provocation. "There's always noise and gunshots and I can't run fast with my prosthesis,” Christella continues. “So, I’m also thinking seriously about doing management studies. But if by chance I get a scholarship to study medicine abroad, I'll be there in a minute!"

Christella shares about how she feels to be a woman with a disability: "If someone asks me about my prosthesis, I explain what happened. There’s no problem. It's cool."

Humanity & Inclusion continues monitoring and supporting Christella, who has recently been fitted with a new prosthesis.

Watch Christella standing tall!

Haiti's 2010 earthquake

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake devastated Haiti, killing 230,000 people and injuring more than 300,000 others.

In the wake of the disaster, Humanity & Inclusion ramped up its operations, and mobilized about 600 people who deployed unprecedented levels of resources and assistance.

Humanity & Inclusion's impact, by the numbers:

• 90,000 people with rehabilitation care
  
• 25,000 people with psychosocial support
• 1,400 people with orthopedic braces or artificial limbs (click here to watch a video of Moise!)
  
• 5,000+ wheelchairs, crutches and walking frames to people with disabilities
• 1,050 shelters for extremely vulnerable families
• 20,000+ tons of aid for people affected by the disaster

Today, we’re still helping Haitians with disabilities stand tall.
Donate to support our ongoing work.

NOTE: until Jan 2018, Humanity & Inclusion was known as Handicap International.