A Month After the Quake, Haiti Needs to Rebuild

PADF-OAS-HUFH urge support for this critical phase

WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thirty days after the catastrophic earthquake that killed more than 170,000 people in Haiti, the Pan American Development Foundation renewed its call for financial support as the nonprofit and its partners are implementing plans to get Haitians to work, to rebuild their homes and to take care of their families. www.PanAmericanRelief.org

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"Today, hundreds of thousands of people continue to live under tarps, bed sheets or simply out in the open," says Jimmy Jean-Louis, the actor and spokesperson for PADF's disaster relief and recovery efforts. "We need to move survivors out of these miserable camps and into safe homes. I am asking people to contribute to this vital recovery and reconstruction phase by calling toll free (877) 572-4484."

Jimmy Jean-Louis, who plays the "Haitian" on NBC's hit series "Heroes," thanked individuals, companies and governments for their initial support of relief efforts, which enabled PADF and its partners to provide food, water, shelter, medicine and other supplies to more than 35,000 people during the first few weeks after the quake.

3,000 Jobs & "Tagging" Homes

Although providing relief will continue for a few months, PADF, along with its partners Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH) and the Organization of American States (OAS), has initiated its recovery and reconstruction in key areas of Port-au-Prince and the Southeast province.

Starting next week, PADF will put to work 3,000 Haitians in a massive clean-up operation in areas such as Cite Soleil and Bel Air. PADF's program, which uses funds from the World Bank that were provided to the Haitian government, will eventually employ 6,000 Haitians during six months.

In a separate program, PADF starts to work on Feb. 12 with leading earthquake recovery expert Kit Miyamoto to "tag" homes.

The California-based structural engineer uses a high-tech inspection process to categorize buildings: "Green tag" means a home can be occupied; "Yellow tag" allows limited access until repairs are made; and a "red tag" indicates that it unsafe.

"Many engineers are red tagging buildings for destruction, but no one is placing the very vital green and yellow tags on homes that can be used," says John Sanbrailo, PADF's Executive Director. "Reassuring Haitians as to which homes are safe, as well as the rooms that may need to be repaired, is critical to getting people off the streets and into their homes."

PADF's goal is to inspect 20,000 buildings during the next few months, which Miyamoto will reach by training 50 Haitian engineers to use the technology.

"If PADF obtains enough financial support, our goal is to expand the inspections, as well as provide proper guidance and construction materials so Haitians can repair and rebuild their homes," says Sanbrailo.

Individual and corporate donations to PADF-OAS-HUFH's Haiti relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts are encouraged by calling toll-free in the U.S. (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org. Text HEAL to 50555 in the U.S. to donate $5.

About HUFH

Hollywood Unites For Haiti is a non-profit charitable aid organization based in Los Angeles that that is lead by Jimmy Jean-Louis. www.hufh.org.

About the OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world's oldest regional organization and today is comprised of 34 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. www.oas.org

About PADF

PADF is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate, and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past year, it had more than 5.6 million beneficiaries in 18 countries.

PADF is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti. With nearly three decades of work on the ground, PADF now manages a large portfolio of activities ranging from community-driven development to protecting human rights.

Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. www.padf.org

www.PanAmericanRelief.org

SOURCE Pan American Development Foundation