It is clear that what took minutes to destroy will take many years and the collective support from governments and relief agencies across the world to help mend. The American Red Cross is working in close coordination with other organizations and will collaborate on and support long-term recovery projects.

Because of the generosity of donors, people in Haiti will receive more than immediate relief — they will receive resources, support and training from the Red Cross that will help them recover and rebuild in the years ahead.

The humanitarian aid pipeline is opening wider but logistical problems continue and the needs in Haiti are immense. Red Cross teams are assessing ways to meet immediate needs and also how to provide long-term recovery assistance, such as continued provision of household supplies and addressing emergency shelter.

• The Red Cross has helped more than 1.3 million people since the January 12th earthquake, and we will continue to aid hundreds of thousands more in Haiti in the months ahead until the last donated dollar is spent.
• Due to the many complexities of this disaster – and the extraordinary needs of the Haitian people – the emergency relief phase could last up to 12 months. However, the first steps of recovery work will begin soon. The American Red Cross has had a permanent presence in Haiti, and we expect to be involved in recovery efforts for years to come.
• Distributions continue regularly throughout urban settlements and in surrounding areas reaching approximately 12,000 people each day.
• Volunteers from around the world, including those from the American Red Cross, are actively distributing food and other supplies, like tarps, rope, hygiene kits, water containers and cooking items. So far, at least 1.3 million people have received these basic, yet life-sustaining items.
• The Red Cross has delivered more than 25 million liters of safe drinking water in 110 different settlements since the earthquake. That translates to approximately 1.25 million liters per day – enough for 320,000 people.
• To address sanitation needs and prevent the spread of disease, the Red Cross and its partners have collectively set up 2,600 latrines to date.
• More than 25,000 people or between 1,000 – 1,300 patients a day have been treated by Red Cross health care facilities and mobile teams.
• Caseworkers are helping people register at the official family linking Web site, place phone calls to loved ones abroad and find family members scattered throughout different settlements in Port-au-Prince. So far, nearly 33,000 people have been assisted in this way.
• Initially, the Red Cross plans to provide emergency shelter supplies – tents, tarps or tools – for 400,000 people (approximately 1/3rd of the estimated 1.2 million in need of shelter) before the rainy season officially begins. We have already provided these items to nearly 139,000 people (27,000 families) and thousands more shelter supplies will be distributed in the days ahead. We have also begun to provide transitional shelter supplies with timber to families in Leogane and Port-au-Prince. 

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