Haiti Earthquake

We have supported communities affected the most by the 2021 earthquake.

Learn more about our response.

Image: Habitat for Humanity International

ShelterBox sent a team to Haiti after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the country on August 14, 2021.

Buildings were flattened and hospitals already under strain from COVID-19 were overwhelmed.

Days later, Tropical Storm Grace dumped more than a foot of rain over some of the worst affected areas.

We have provided the essential items that families need along with our trusted partner Habitat for Humanity Haiti.

MORE ABOUT OUR RESPONSE IN HAITI


Together with our trusted partner Habitat for Humanity Haiti, we provided emergency shelter aid to people like Marcel (pictured).

This included shelter kits like tarpaulins and fixings, thermal blankets, solar lights, kitchen sets, sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and water carriers. We have also included a cash payment for families to buy materials, or hire a laborer to clear rubble and help with construction.

These essential aid items have supported communities to rebuild after this disaster. We have also provided training and technical support along with the essential aid items.

WHAT HAPPENED IN HAITI?


haiti map

The earthquake struck the west of Haiti on the morning of August 14. 

The epicenter was 90 miles from the densely populated capital of Port-au-Prince and was felt across the Caribbean.

More than 135,000 homes were reported to be damaged or destroyed and over 2,200 fatalities were confirmed. Humanitarian assistance has begun in some of the hardest-to-reach areas to meet urgent needs.

Haiti is still recovering from the devastating earthquake in 2010 which caused extensive damage to infrastructure and the economy.

SHELTERBOX IN HAITI


ShelterBox has significant experience working in Haiti. We have worked there five times, including in 2010 after the magnitude 7 earthquake. 200,000 people lost their lives and 5 million people lost their homes.

With over 20 years of experience, we are experts in emergency shelter after disaster. We often work in places that others don’t, making sure that we reach families who need support to take the next step in resuming their livelihoods.

From Cameroon to Syria, all the way to the Philippines and the Caribbean, we have provided shelter to over 2 million people so far. And in these uncertain times, your support is more valuable than ever.

Taking Shelter after the Haiti earthquake

A family sits outside their ShelterBox tent in Haiti, after the devastating earthquake killed thousands in 2010.

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HOW DID SHELTERBOX SUPPORT FAMILIES IN THE 2010 EARTHQUAKE?

We were working in Haiti eighteen months before the earthquake struck, delivering emergency aid after a series of hurricanes left thousands of families homeless. Following the devastating earthquake in 2010, over 28,000 families were supported with essential ShelterBox aid. This included tents to provide families with emergency shelter to start recovering, kitchen sets to allow them to cook and eat together again, and mosquito nets to protect against Insect-borne diseases like malaria.

Earthquakes

Tectonic plates cover the surface of the earth. They are slow-moving, but they get stuck at their edges due to friction. When the stress on the edge overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth’s crust and cause the shaking that we feel.

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