UNFPA - United Nations Population Fund

Published purpose

On January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale rocked Port-au-Prince, the capital of the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti. It is estimated that up to 3,000,000 people have been affected by the disaster, either through injury or through loss of access to life-sustaining necessities such as food, water, sanitation services, and shelter. The United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) plays a key role in helping to ensure that the needs of vulnerable segments of the population affected by the earthquake are met. Specifically, UNFPA is helping to ensure that multi-sectoral services, such as health care, legal assistance and psychosocial support, are in place for women and girls at increased risk of gender-based violence.