Five Year Anniversary Of Haiti Earthquake

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake hit Haiti, killing more than 230,000 people and displacing approximately 1.5 million. Children were orphaned; families were left homeless; and homes, schools and hospitals destroyed. Five years later, SOS Children's Villages, the world's largest organization providing care for orphaned and abandoned children, remains unwavering in its ongoing, long-term commitment to the people of Haiti.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7409351-sos-children-village-milestones/

"Efforts to rebuild the most affected areas move at a slow place, and the need to support vulnerable children and families remains high. Many of the children and families who survived the earthquake lost everything and experienced severe emotional trauma," said Lynn Croneberger, CEO of SOS Children's Villages – USA. "In 2010, we made a strong commitment to support these survivors. Thanks to generous donors and the Government of Haiti, we are able to continue to provide support to Haiti's most vulnerable."

For over 30 years, SOS Children's Villages has provided family-based care and education programs in Santo and Cap-Haitien, Haiti. Immediately following the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, SOS Children's Villages launched an emergency program that provided child protection and emergency relief support, and included a series of construction, reconstruction and renovation projects. Through its food distribution program, SOS Children's Villages provided meals for over 24,000 children every day. In addition, over 400 unaccompanied children were welcomed at SOS Children's Villages in Santo, a province near the capital Port-au-Prince.

"The biggest challenge for SOS Children's Villages during the earthquake was to find a way to welcome these children because the village was too small," said Celigny Darius, National Director of SOS Children's Villages - Haiti. "We installed temporary houses to enable us to take them in."

SOS Children's Villages worked to reunite unaccompanied children with their families. These children included 33 who were taken by U.S. citizens and then rescued by authorities at the border of the Dominican Republic. Reunited families also participated in SOS' Family Strengthening Programs, which provide families with support services to prevent child abandonment. Children who were orphaned as a result of the earthquake found a new home at SOS Children's Villages.

Five years later, SOS Children's Villages continues its long-term commitment to Haiti by caring for vulnerable children and families, as well as by supporting the reconstruction of homes and schools in affected areas. Key milestones include:  

• Inauguration of a new SOS Village: On January 10, 2015, SOS Children's Villages will inaugurate its third village in Les Cayes, Haiti. The village of 63 children will provide stable homes and care for children who were left without parental care.
• Education: More than half of Haiti's school-aged children did not have access to education prior to the earthquake. SOS Children's Villages has made a significant investment in the country's educational system, with the construction or renovation of six schools.
• SOS Children's Villages Community Centers: At community centers in Port-au-Prince, SOS Children's Villages provides support for nearly 3,000 children.

Three short videos illustrate SOS Children's Villages work in Haiti – they feature family reunification stories, the beneficiaries of SOS' family strengthening programs, and the construction of the new SOS Village in Les Cayes. The videos are available here.

To speak to Lynn Croneberger, CEO of SOS Children's Villages - USA, please contact Stephanie Rendon at 202.470.5182 or [email protected]. Interview opportunities with SOS staff based in Haiti are also available upon request.

About SOS Children's Villages
SOS Children's Villages is the world's largest organization providing care for orphaned and abandoned children. The organization was founded in 1949 and today runs more than 2,300 programs reaching more than a million children and adults in 134 countries and territories, including the U.S. More information on SOS Children's Villages can be found at www.SOS-USA.org. Follow us on Twitter at @SOSChildrenUSA.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7409351-sos-children-village-milestones/

SOURCE SOS Children's Villages - USA