Canadian Red Cross

Published purpose

March 16, 2010 - 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 three million Haitians have been affected by the disaster and require humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs. CIDA's contribution is helping the Canadian Red Cross Society (CRCS) to provide transitional shelters to 7,500 earthquake-affected families in Haiti. These shelters give vulnerable families living in Jacmel and Léogane a safe, weather-resistant living space and protection against the rainy and hurricane seasons. This is one part of a project managed jointly by CRCS and the International Federation of Red Cross Societies (IFRC).