May 18, 2010: A displaced person (sometimes abbreviated DP) is a person who has been forced to leave his or her native place. A refugee generally refers to someone who has been forced to leave their country of origin.  Displaced Individuals, whether referred to as “evacuees” or IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons) suffer the debilitating effects connected with the loss of home, job, family or possessions.

Haiti’s January earthquake resulted in the displacement of more than two million individuals as a result of the catastrophic destruction of housing in Port-au-Prince and across the nation. Picture the city of Houston, with its population of around two million, with homes and businesses reduced to rubble and its inhabitants living underneath tarps or in rudimentary tents.  That is the extent of the human suffering still experienced in Haiti today.  

Haitian government officials and international donors continue to prepare and design a strategy for the relocation of displaced persons. Part of this process involves habitability assessments which determine if a structure is safe for someone to live in. Sadly, even four months after the earthquake many homes are still being found unsuitable for human habitation and must be either demolished or undergo major repairs, at great expense to the owners.

According to a recent CNN report, it will take three to five years just to clear the rubble and debris still on the streets of Port-au-Prince. There is so much damage and destruction, so few trucks and places to dispose of the mangled steel and concrete and the piles of crushed furniture and personal possessions, the job will take years to complete.

Michael Gay is a Port-au-Prince engineer and co-owner of Haiti's largest supplier of concrete. "We're in the state we're in because of one thing: poor construction practices," said Gay, who heads GDG Concrete and Construction. "We have to change. I've been saying it for more than 10 years. Too many people suffered in the earthquake.” If nothing else, Gay said he hopes fear will now serve as a guiding factor in new building practices.

For the first time, the government intends to inspect new construction. It is requiring permits of those who want to repair damaged houses that have been marked as salvageable. It is also working with foreign experts to train Haitian engineers and masons to make sure the nation has the skill-set to build wisely.

Rebuilding Haiti’s homes is a long-term process. Initiating new building practices and working them into the country’s system adds to the complexity and the time frame. Meanwhile, untold thousands of men, women and children suffer from exposure to the elements, lack of suitable housing, the associated disease and lost productivity. Our commitment is to provide shelter for a village we have identified through our work in Haiti: Sous Savanne is in the region closest to the epicenter of the earthquake and is suffering from a dire lack of shelter and support for its 2,100 inhabitants. We have a goal of providing disaster relief tents for 300 families in this village.

Our hope is that you will join us in a tangible response to the plight of these precious people. This is a clear and desperate need that, once met, will aid in the transition to a sense of normalcy for this community. These tents will provide interim dwellings as rebuilding gets underway and will help them get back on their own land, in a dry and sanitary environment. 

Rebuilding the country in a manner that will prevent disasters as profound as this year’s earthquake remains a top priority for Haiti, its people and all aid agencies committed to seeing a better future for the country.