JDC ADDRESSES CRITICAL NEEDS IN HAITI AS TEAM RETURNS TO NYC FROM FIRST FIELD VISIT

$3.2 Million Raised for Continuing and Long-Term Relief

NEW YORK, NY, February 1, 2010—Among the Haitians being aided by the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and its partners in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake, are teenagers Pierre and Moise, clients of a JDC-supported food program by EcoWorks International being run on the remains of a local hospital. Both recovering from surgery to their badly broken legs, these two young men, who lost family members and their homes, are receiving regular meals and water as they recuperate. Like hundreds of thousands of other victims, Pierre and Moise are struggling to regain their bearings amidst the rubble that just two weeks ago had been homes, schools, hospitals, markets, and places of worship.

JDC, the world’s largest Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, and its expanded group of partners on the ground, are delivering water, medicine, food and critical relief to victims in Port-au-Prince and the outlying areas. The JDC team, just returned from Haiti, is helping to assess immediate and long-term needs as JDC begins to plan for rebuilding efforts.

To date, JDC has raised $3.2 million for Haiti relief and has expanded its group of partners performing humanitarian assistance work on the ground. They include:

• International Rescue Committee will use JDC support to fund several water supply projects that will provide sources of clean, potable water in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding community.
• Through the ProDev Foundation, a local Haitian NGO, 20 JDC-sponsored water tanks will ensure clean drinking water for people living in tent villages.
• A JDC-allotted grant to Chabad-Lubavitch of the Dominican Republic that funded the delivery of much-needed milk for children in Haiti.

Through existing partners on the ground, JDC continues to channel critical aid to Haitians in need. EcoWorks International's feeding program is bringing cooked meals and water to 250 patients and their families daily, and providing rice and other food to 4,000 orphans.

An expanded partnership with Heart to Heart International, which includes the purchase of four trucks, is ensuring that medical relief and supplies reach isolated communities. JDC-funded equipment helped the Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Forces complete the mission of its field hospital, which was operational within 10 hours of the earthquake.

JDC continues to coordinate its activities with the White House, the Department of State, USAID, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israeli relief agencies, the United Nations, and the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief. These efforts are part of JDC’s International Development Program (IDP), which provides immediate relief and long-term assistance to victims of natural and manmade disasters.

You can read about their experience in Haiti by visiting JDC's blog, No Passport Required.