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Plan Disaster Teams on the Ground in Haiti
January 13, 2010Plan, an international child-centered community development organization, has announced the release of USD $100,000 in emergency funds to help Haiti recover from the country's worst earthquake in recorded history. While the death toll from the 7.23 magnitude quake is not yet known, some three million people may have been directly affected. When the earthquake struck, buildings and public infrastructure, including at least one major hospital in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, were destroyed or severely damaged. Many houses, office buildings, and schools collapsed with many people still trapped inside. Plan, which has worked closely with Haitian communities since 1973, has launched an international appeal for funds for Haiti that will support immediate emergency operations, with a special concern for meeting the needs of the children. Plan disaster response teams are now coordinating an immediate response with government agencies, emergency services, and other organizations. Roger Yates, Plan Director of disasters and humanitarian response, said that "of all the countries in the region, Haiti is the most vulnerable. Plan's priority is assisting children and their families and getting people at risk into safe accommodation wherever possible." Full release.