Amid escalating violence and political unrest in Haiti, CharityWatch reached out to several Top-Rated charities with a history of working in the region to understand what aid they are continuing to provide.
Medical Teams International responded to CharityWatch’s inquiry on March 11, 2024. We hope you find this information useful as you consider how best to support Haitian relief efforts during this difficult time.
Is your organization still operating in Haiti? If yes, please describe your operations there.
"No. However, Medical Teams was operational in Haiti for
several humanitarian emergencies occurring between 1994-2017, including the hurricane
and floods in Gonaives in 2004-2005 and the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in 2010.
We also served internally displaced people in a large camp outside of
Port-au-Prince, supported a hospital and medical outpost, and ran a program
providing prosthetic limbs and physical therapy to earthquake survivors. From
2010-2014, we responded to cholera outbreaks, and from 2014-2017, we supported
a community development project in Crochu. Unfortunately, in 2017, we exited
the country due to restrictive legal and government bureaucracy which
interfered with our registration."
Considering the political instability that has escalated in recent days, can you share how your organization is responding? Specifically, are you working to evacuate your staff, contractors, or other contacts, or are you continuing to provide aid, and in what capacity?
"Medical Teams has a long history of health-focused,
humanitarian presence and effective partnerships in Haiti. We are deeply
concerned about the current violence and instability in the country. Because of
our commitment to serving people in crisis around the world, we are closely
monitoring the situation to determine if and how we can be of support. However,
Medical Teams’ support to partners in Haiti ended in 2023, and we do not
foresee working with partners for this response."
Are you currently collecting donations specifically for Haiti relief currently being conducted in the country? If so, can you share a link to that specific donation page?
"At this time, we are not raising funds for the current
crisis in Haiti."
Can you share your imminent, future plans for conducting charitable work in Haiti? Meaning, do you intend to evacuate your staff, contractors, or other contacts, or do you at this time intend to continue your work there?
"We do not have plans at this time to continue work in
Haiti. We may consider supporting local organizations in the future, but the
social unrest associated with recent events makes it even more difficult and
unrealistic for Medical Teams to directly implement programs."
Is there any additional information you would like to share?
"Medical Teams is proud of our work with partner
organizations in Haiti and the progress made in improving access to health
care. For example, in 2004, Medical Teams began a partnership with an
organization called Haiti Foundation for Hope (Terre Blanche). We supported a
project with them that provided maternal and newborn health services in Haiti.
Medical Teams provided its clinic with supplies, training, technical support,
and funding."
"Because the current
situation threatens to unravel relief and development work that has been
achieved in recent decades, Medical Teams would like to encourage individuals
and organizations to do what they can to support health-focused charities on
the ground in Haiti. In addition to having high poverty levels and being prone
to natural disasters, the country has fragile health systems and
infrastructure. Haitians desperately need reliable healthcare and other
essential services, now more than ever."
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