World Vision to provide transitional shelter for homeless Haitians

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 9 /CNW/ -

NEWS

World Vision is supporting the first relocation of 7,500 displaced Haitians from camps in Port-au-Prince to a site on the outskirts of the city where transitional shelters will be built. In partnership with other agencies, World Vision will construct one-third of the 1,356 shelters planned for a 75 sq. kilometre plot of land recently allocated by the Government of Haiti for people most at risk from the upcoming rainy season.

World Vision's transitional shelters are made with aluminum frames that can be covered with canvas or tarpaulins, then take on building materials, doors and windows as they become available. Each has two rooms for sleeping, one for parents and one for children in bunks. There is also a sitting room and a food storage area. While these shelters are being built, World Vision will provide tents and distribute food rations to the people who will begin arriving this weekend at the site called Corail-Cesselesse.

QUOTE

"This will be a transitional community, but we know they will be there for a long time. We want to ensure that the families will have a decent quality of life. This means not only adequate shelter, but also facilities, schools, jobs, markets and healthcare."

- Dave Toycen, President & CEO, World Vision Canada

CONTEXT

Under the Haitian government's Safer Shelter Strategy, a move to transitional shelter is considered a last resort for families, with other options including returning to existing homes or land, or seeking interim shelter with a host family. World Vision's ongoing distribution of tarpaulins, mosquito nets, as well as household items such as blankets and cooking sets, recognizes that the majority of the 650,000-plus camp residents will remain where they are in the short term. Building materials are being distributed to make temporary shelters in the camps sturdier and more waterproof.

For more information on our Haiti response and reconstruction efforts, visit WorldVision.ca

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.

For further information: For pictures and interviews with World Vision experts, contact: Britt Hamilton, [phone] x.3973, cell: [phone], [email protected]; Amy Fuller, [phone] x.2151, cell: [phone], [email protected]