Living Water International - Haiti

Living Water International (LWI) teams are already on the ground in the midst of unimaginable devastation to do what they can, but the problems for affected communities are only beginning. The most urgent need during the coming days and weeks will be water. Homes can take months to re-build, electricity can take weeks to restore, but people can’t last long without water.

Earthquakes destroy water systems. Pipelines break, electrical distribution systems fail, and hand-dug wells–—already questionable water sources–—are rendered useless or become contaminated with cholera, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases.

“In Haiti, clean water is a terrible problem even at the best of times,” said LWI Executive Director Gary Evans. “After a quake like this, it’s a crisis of epic proportions.”

“This isn’t the first time we’ve been part of disaster response in Haiti,” says Evans, referring to LWI’s response to the devastating hurricane season of September 2008, when four major storms including Hurricane Ike slammed the country. “But this could be the worst we’ve seen.”

In response to the Haiti earthquake, Living Water International is setting a goal to repair 500 incapacitated handpumps in Haiti during 2010, serving at least 250,000 people.

In order to do this, LWI is leading a coalition of water organizations that are partnering to multiply their effect on Haitian communities. Partners include Global Benefit, Mercy Water (working with Nspire Software), Wishing Well, Hydrate Hope Project (through I AM CHANGE), The Water Project, and Safewater Nexus.

Containers of parts and equipment are already on the way to replace rapidly diminishing supplies, but even more will be needed soon. Please donate now!

Source: http://www.water.cc/initiatives/haiti/