Five years on: World Vision's response to the Haiti Earthquake

‘Where is my mommy?’ ‘How am I going to feed my children?’ ‘Where will we live now?’ These are just a few of the emotion-packed questions that World Vision has answered thousands and thousands of times over the past five years as we have responded to the tremendous human suffering caused by the devastating earthquake on 12 January 2010. Through the generosity of our donors and dedication and tenacity of our staff, World Vision has protected children, provided meals and housed families. This progress, combined with the coordinated efforts of other partners, has provided glimmers of hope to the children and families of Haiti.

Within minutes of the earthquake, World Vision staff sprang into action and began distributing prepositioned emergency supplies. This response has lasted nearly five years as World Vision’s staff, mostly Haitians who had suffered many losses themselves in the earthquake, stepped up to serve their own people as they were grieving and suffering themselves. Their consistent efforts over the past five years have saved lives, reduced suffering, and provided a future for thousands of affected Haitians.