On August 14, 2021, “a 7.2 magnitude earthquake” hit Southern Haiti, killing more than 2,200 people and injuring more than 12,000 others. Additionally, nearly 137,000 homes suffered either damage or destruction. The United Nations Children’s Fund estimates that the impacts of the earthquake affected 1.2 million Haitian people, with children accounting for 540,000 of these victims. Considering the extent of damage and destruction in Haiti, several organizations are working to provide assistance to affected Haitians. In particular, there are five main organizations providing food aid to earthquake victims in Haiti.

5 Food Organizations Providing Food Aid to Haiti

1. World Central Kitchen. A nonprofit that Spanish celebrity chef José Andrés founded, World Central Kitchen came into existence in 2010 when Haiti experienced a 7.0 magnitude earthquake that led to more than 300,000 deaths and severe destruction. Since then, the organization has gained attention for setting up makeshift kitchens in countries such as Puerto Rico and Haiti, which have been the sites of natural disasters. World Central Kitchen is now trying to help Haiti recover from the 2021 earthquake by deploying local and foreign relief workers to cook hot meals for the nation’s people. With roads and infrastructure sustaining damage, the organization sometimes uses planes and helicopters to deliver food to its five locations in Haiti. Today, the kitchen in Les Cayes, Haiti, feeds an average of 11,000 people daily. The aim is to increase this daily number to between 15,000 and 20,000 people.
2. Convoy of Hope. Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, Convoy of Hope is a faith-based organization that aims to provide food and services for the world’s most impoverished populations. The organization achieves this by creating feeding initiatives for children and by responding to natural disasters. Convoy of Hope’s assistance to Haiti began in 2007, expanding to feed more than 100,000 Haitian children across almost 500 programs every day. The organization quickly responded to the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti and announced an initial plan to distribute 1 million meals for victims the day after. Convoy of Hope was able to aid a million survivors within the first week, receiving assistance from other mission-based nonprofits and even the U.S. Navy, which provided transport for food and supplies. In less than one month, Convoy served 163 communities in Haiti, helping more than 5 million earthquake victims to date.
3. Haitian Health Foundation. The Haitian Health Foundation is a Connecticut-based nonprofit organization that aims to improve the health and quality of life of people living in Haiti. It specifically operates through its location in Jeremie, the capital city of the Grand’Anse department of Haiti. Since its beginnings in 1982, the Haitian Health Foundation has grown to support not just the people of Jeremie but more than 100 mountainous villages in the Grand’Anse department. It now serves more than 225,000 people within these rural areas. Like other organizations such as World Central Kitchen, the Haitian Health Foundation is working to distribute food to the victims of the 2021 earthquake by operating a kitchen out of one of its health clinic cafeterias in Jeremie. HHF is also taking measures to treat and transport survivors, like organizing tents for victims with PTSD and providing radiography and sonography services. The organization continues to monitor the situation and has set up protocols to address the needs of Haiti’s people.
4. World Vision. Founded in the 1950s, World Vision International is a Christian humanitarian organization helping disadvantaged communities overcome poverty. World Vision’s work extends to almost 100 countries and it supports more than 3.5 million children across the globe. Haiti is one of the nations that World Vision backs, receiving aid from the organization for 30 years. Unfortunately, World Vision does not have any programs close to the southern regions of Haiti, which experienced the most devastation following the 2021 earthquake. Despite this, the organization still had enough supplies on standby to distribute food and hygiene kits to 6,000 people. World Vision’s goal, however, is to assist an additional 240,000 Haitians. World Vision is currently working with other organizations to assist families and orphans with access to food, water and shelter.
5. Action Against Hunger. Operating for about 40 years, Action Against Hunger is a humanitarian organization with a mission to alleviate malnutrition in impoverished countries. Since its founding, it has assisted more than 25 million people across 50 different countries. Action Against Hunger’s presence in Haiti began in 1985, and like other organizations, it was quick to respond to the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010. Today, the nonprofit is doing its best to help Haiti recover from the most recent disaster, seeking to raise $9 million to fund “nutrition, sanitation and mental health services” to aid more than 300,000 citizens.

The Road to Recovery

Though these are notable examples of organizations providing food aid to earthquake victims in Haiti, several others are also stepping in to help Haiti recover from this catastrophic incident. With continued aid and support, Haiti can successfully rebuild and recover from the impacts of the most recent earthquake.

– Eshaan Gandhi
Photo: Flickr