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Haiti

Longstanding relationship between the Haitian and Canadian Red Cross

Red Cross helping a mother and her children after Hurricane Matthew

Photo: Marko Kokic / Canadian Red Cross

The Canadian Red Cross has been working in Haiti for more than 30 years. Following the 2010 earthquake, the Canadian Red Cross partnered with the Haitian Red Cross to provide critical assistance to affected communities and support emergency response through several projects, which focused on safe shelter, health, violence prevention, and reducing the vulnerability of Haitian women, men, boys and girls.

In the years that followed, the Canadian Red Cross has continued to work alongside the Haitian Red Cross Society to strengthen community resilience in the face of challenges, including a cholera epidemic, hurricanes Sandy, Matthew and Irma, and most recently the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout, the Haitian Red Cross has sustained the essential work needed throughout Haiti by linking emergency response operations with long-term development programs.

The Canadian Red Cross has supported the Haitian Red Cross to prioritize health and civic-protection systems, while also enhancing community-based responses and prevention. This support has included constructing or rehabilitating health facilities, as well as conducting community health initiatives, water and sanitation projects, safe shelter solutions, and disaster preparedness efforts in the Sud-Est and Grand;Anse departments, as well as in communities of Port-au-Prince. Community members – especially those in hard-to-reach areas and in the most marginalized communities – have also received training and education in preventive practices to support health, and promote sexual and reproductive health rights.

The Canadian Red Cross has further supported these efforts through community awareness activities and by training frontline health workers, including Haitian Red Cross staff and volunteers. Efforts have been made to improve maternal and child health, address protection issues, and prevent violence against women and girls.

Red Cross support in Haiti

Red Cross workers playing with children after hurricane

Photo: Marko Kokic / Canadian Red Cross

The Canadian Red Cross focuses on supporting the Haitian Red Cross as they respond to humanitarian emergencies while building sustainable local responses. Red Cross initiatives prioritize assistance for individuals in highly vulnerable situations, including women, expectant mothers, youth, people living with disabilities, seniors, and people who are displaced.

The rich partnership between the Canadian Red Cross and the Haitian Red Cross also includes a psychosocial support initiative to train facilitators and volunteers across the country who may be experiencing the psychological impacts of disasters, political instability, insecurity, displacement, and poverty.

Today, ongoing partnerships with the Haitian Red Cross adapt to the changing and challenging context on the ground. The Canadian Red Cross continues to support the Haitian Red Cross’s capacity to respond to emergencies to ensure stronger, local responses to community needs and crises, especially in today’s complex landscape.

Your donation in action: 2021 Haiti Earthquake donor report


How you can make an impact

A child receiving a throat exam from a Red Cross doctor

Photo: Marko Kokic / Canadian Red Cross

The best way to support Canadian Red Cross programming in countries like Haiti is to make a donation to the International Programs Fund.

Donate to the International Programs Fund

Your gift helps us establish health care and water and sanitation programs focusing on improving particularly access for women, girls, and other marginalized populations and contributes to making families and communities more resilient against future disasters, climate crisis or conflict situations. Your donation allows us to help prevent, prepare for, and alleviate the suffering of those impacted by disasters and crises by responding to humanitarian needs, promoting community agencies to address humanitarian crises, strengthening local capacity, and investing in preparedness. Your support will contribute to building more resilient communities in areas around the world.

Read more about how International Program Fund donations have helped Canadian Red Cross deliver programming around the world.