Lions Clubs response to Haiti
Lions Clubs International in Haiti from the start; still there; until the finish; rebuilding the community.
Within hours of news of the magnitude of the major earthquake in Haiti, Lions Clubs from across the British Isles and Ireland were busy fund raising and making donations to our Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) to provide immediate response aid to the people of Haiti.
Simultaneously, the 45,000 Lions Clubs and their 1.3 million members across the world were also responding to the urgent need for humanitarian services.
Lions Clubs in the British Isles have already donated £125,000, together with a further Euro 10,000 from Ireland, which, as part of the more than US$ 2 million provided by LCIF, have ensured the immediate needs are met. Supplies of water, food and medical supplies were provided by 22nd January and distributed by Haitian Lions and Leo Clubs to a hospital and orphanage. The Lions Clubs of the adjacent Dominican Republic have also been making a major contribution by providing us with an additional logistical routing by ferrying contributed supplies across the border to Haiti.
Haitian Lions have established three tent cities, each capable of providing accommodation for 1,200 people in Delmas, Blanchard and Carrefour-Feuille and have continued to provide the essential support to maintain them.
LCIF is also partnering with shipping company Maersk , to ship tents, donated by the Lions Clubs of Sweden, and food donated by the World Food Programme, to Haiti free of charge. Further discussions are in progress with other relief agencies.
Whilst currently focussing on immediate needs and the continued provision of supplies,Lions Clubs are also developing, together with Lions Club members from the local area, a long-term plan for reconstruction. Amongst projects being considered are building a school and an ophthalmic clinic.
Lions Clubs in the British Isles and Ireland have appointed a Disaster Response Committee to develop plans for our contribution to the overall long term needs, in conjunction with LCIF, by investigating and financing a specific rehabilitation project.