Lutheran World Relief (LWR) continues its long-term efforts to assist Haiti
Staff Writer
2011-01-12
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Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.
"Thanks to LWR's generous supporters, LWR has raised more than $7 million for Haiti's long-term recovery," says John Nunes, LWR's president and CEO. "Because of this support, LWR has committed to working in Haiti for at least five years to help communities recover and move forward."
Long-term recovery in Haiti has been challenging, with the migration of approximately 600,000 people from the capital city to rural communities and with additional crises, like the recent cholera outbreak and Hurricane Tomas. LWR also supported the ACT response to Hurricane Tomas and continues to respond to the cholera outbreak. With expertise and experience in rural development, and a 15-year history working in rural Haiti, LWR is focusing its long-term rehabilitation efforts on addressing the endemic poverty that makes communities more vulnerable to the impact of disasters.
LWR is working with two local partners, World Neighbors and Partnership for Local Development (PLD), to help strengthen the rural communities that took in approximately 600,000 people who fled the capital city of Port-au-Prince after the earthquake.
"These are communities that were already impoverished. Their resources were already very limited," said Carolyn Barker-Villena, LWR's senior program manager for Latin America. "Of course they were willing to take people in and do what they could to help, but it puts a strain on resources. These rural areas had needs before the quake, and those needs are even more prominent now. That's what LWR is working to address."
LWR and partners have provided nutrition, health and hygiene training to people, including internally displaced persons, and worked to ensure adequate year-round food supply.