by Paris Kaye

Created on: February 17, 2010   Last Updated: February 19, 2010

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at approximately 4:53 PM EST, a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Haiti region killing 212,069 people and injuring another 300,517. Just over 1.2 million people, or almost 14% of the population, are residing in sheltered areas. 

So how does one approach this apocalyptic event, offering humanitarian aid and support to this devastated nation? How does one implement a structure in the face of a devastating natural disaster and the ensuing chaos?

In 2005, the Emergency Relief Coordinator of World Health Organization (WHO) launched an independent humanitarian response review to assess humanitarian response capacities of several key international organizations.

The response review’s recommendation was the use of a “cluster” methodology or approach. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee, or IASC, designated global cluster leads in eleven areas of humanitarian activity assigning purview to several international organizations.

The key eleven areas on which to focus following disasters such as Haiti include agriculture, camp coordination and management, early recovery efforts, education, emergency shelters, emergency telecommunications, health, logistics (transportation and distribution of food), nutrition, protection/security and the general area that includes water, sanitation and hygiene.

Response, restoration and recovery are the goals in dealing with a humanitarian crisis. The immediate response in Haiti is medical aid, rubble removal including search and rescue, transitional shelter, food security and distribution.

At one point, more than 600 organizations were providing humanitarian aid to Haiti, and currently, 274 organizations are conducting health activities in at least 15 communities. Immediately following the quake, the most pressing need was to rescue people buried in the rubble and provide immediate emergency care for trauma patients.

Needs have now changed and focus is on post-operative care and follow-up of patients who have already had surgery as well as basic primary health care services, such as maternal child health, rehabilitation services, and chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, HIV, and tuberculosis, among others.

The Pan American Health Organization (or PAHO) in conjunction with the World Health Organization released, Special Report: Update on the Health Response to the Earthquake in Haiti. This report includes the following information:

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