Haiti earthquake 2021

ActionAid’s emergency teams responded to a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck south-western Haiti on Saturday, 14 August, 2021.

Over 2,000 people died, more than 12,000 were injured and around 26,000 people were displaced. The worst-affected areas were Grand’Anse, Nippes, and Sud, where the earthquake damaged dozens of health facilities and more than a thousand school buildings.

There was significant damage to homes, roads and infrastructure as heavy rains, flooding, and landslides followed just two days after the earthquake struck .

This earthquake was higher in magnitude than the 2010 Haiti earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands of people.

ActionAid responded to those most in need in rural communities in Grand’Anse, in the municipalities of Jérémie and Roseaux. We provided families with first aid emergency kits, tarpaulins, water, cash for food and shelter, hygiene kits, buckets with taps and essential kitchen items.

How your donation to Haiti makes a difference

Your gift to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal 2021 can help people in urgent need.

Haiti earthquake 2021: ActionAid's response

ActionAid’s emergency response teams were on the ground in the worst affected areas of Jérémie and Les Cayes, responding to people's most urgent needs after the earthquake.

We assisted households affected by the earthquake with:

immediate shelter and emergency food
blankets, pillows, hygiene and dignity kits and kitchenware
protection services for women and girls
psychosocial support for traumatised children and their families
cash support.

Angeline Annesteus, Country Director of ActionAid Haiti, said:

Today brings back the trauma of the 2010 earthquake that tore Haiti apart. This deadly quake has destroyed homes and infrastructure in some of Haiti’s most vulnerable and marginalised communities.

In Jérémie, one of the areas most affected, our team is helping with rescue efforts as families desperately try to pull loved ones from the rubble. Sadly, we expect the death toll to continue to rise.

Women and girls are already bearing the brunt of the multiple crises facing Haiti, including rising hunger, political instability and gang violence. The devastating fallout from this earthquake, could push many more families into poverty and hunger.”

Marie Dieula after the 2021 earthquake in Haiti

ActionAid

After the Haiti earthquake

49-year-old Marie Dieula lost her house in the earthquake.

Widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure left many other families in desperate need of shelter and food support. Many of those injured and displaced were women and children.

Everything is still under the rubble. I lost my goods which were my only way to feed my family. We have been digging to find clothes, sheets and our important belongings since that’s all we have."

ActionAid’s response to the earthquake included providing food support, shelter, essential items including blankets, pillows, kitchenware, and hygiene kits for women and girls.

About ActionAid

ActionAid is an international charity that works with women and girls living in poverty.

Our dedicated local staff are changing the world with women and girls. We are ending violence and fighting poverty so that all women, everywhere, can create the future they want.

We operate in rural and urban communities across Asia, Africa and Latin America.

We're committed to ending the cycle of violence in communities around the world, enabling women's economic empowerment, and supporting women's and girls' rights during humanitarian crises.