European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations
Haiti earthquake anniversary: responding to an extraordinary emergency
On 14 August 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake hit south-western Haiti, destroying many homes and damaging vital infrastructure.
The quake killed more than 2,200 people and injured over 12,500. In addition, some 329 people went missing and left many more with disabilities. It was a serious blow to the humanitarian situation of a country already facing major needs.
The earthquake made reaching the affected departments extremely challenging. Most roads were either damaged or made inaccessible by the gangs controlling the main route out of the capital city Port-Au-Prince.
The EU released emergency funding of €3 million to respond to the most urgent needs. It activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, channelling emergency teams and equipment from France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain, Norway, and Sweden.
Thanks to EU funding, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was among the first humanitarian partners to mobilise and provide support to guarantee a rapid and coordinated response between humanitarian actors and Haiti's civil protection.
The earthquake affected 800,000 people and destroyed at least 115,000 homes. Les Cayes, the capital of Haiti’s South Department, was one of the 3 hardest-hit cities.
Local hospitals and water infrastructures stopped functioning and many schools were severely damaged, delaying a safe regular access to classes for 250,000 children.
Haiti’s population is very active, resourceful and used to taking matters in their own hands. Citizens of the affected departments independently mobilised to start clearing the debris.
The UN set up an operational centre in Les Cayes to ensure a swift response. An EU civil protection team joined to support coordination efforts for incoming assistance from Spain, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Sweden, and Norway.
The operational hub helped guarantee that all responders had access to information, prioritising intervention areas and avoiding overlapping of efforts. Thanks to this, they had clear areas of intervention to function in a more efficient way.
“Helping the most vulnerable can only be achieved through the response coordination under the leadership of national and local authorities and with community-based organisations,” says Christian Cricboom, OCHA’s Head of Office in Haiti.
Aid offers from Member States were coordinated thanks to the EU support. 40 firefighters from France installed a water purification unit providing 225,000 litres of drinking water per day. Thanks to the Dutch navy, they reached the area with no delay.
Luxembourg provided satellite communication equipment, a key component for when communication networks are disrupted. To support Haiti’s healthcare system, Norway sent a team of 46 experts (Emergency Medical Teams) in the most affected areas.
To strengthen the response, the EU also set up 3 Humanitarian Air Bridge operations carrying medicines, water filters, hygiene kits, tarpaulins and COVID-19 personal protection gear among other lifesaving material.
Story and photos by OCHA and Daniele Pagani, Regional Information Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations.
Publication date: 14/08/2022
