Haiti: Over 1,000 schools devastated by earthquake are yet to rebuilt

After six months of the devastating earthquake, which struck the southwestern region of Haiti, which left more than 1,000 schools in the most affected departments of Sud, Grand'Anse and Nippes are yet to be rebuilt. It leaves over 320,000 children from studying in environments that are not conducive to learning, as per the recent statement released by the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF).

As per the statement released by Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti, "Ensuring children can get back to schools is not only a moral imperative but also important for their health and mental health, nutrition and general well-being."

He further added that, "Post-six months of the earthquake, reconstruction is most definitely underway. Nevertheless, hundreds of schools are still in ruins. Without schools, many children may abandon their studies. Reconstructing educational infrastructure and providing students and teachers with learning materials is urgent and fundamental if we want children to recover a sense of normalcy in their lives."

Despite major response efforts in a very challenging context, over 260,000 children still need immediate humanitarian assistance.

"The earthquake that devastated the regions of the southern peninsula deprived people of major access to basic social services. Thousands of women and children still depend on mobile health clinics for treatment or water trucks to get clean water," said Meas. "Without adequate access to water, food, health and education, scores of children and women are in immense and urgent need."

The nutritional and health needs of children affected by the earthquake are significant, and often unaddressed since many health facilities are yet to be reconstructed. There is an urgent need for clean water and hygiene services in the earthquake-affected areas to avoid the resurgence of waterborne diseases such as cholera, after three years without a single case reported in the country.

On August 14, 2021, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the departments of Sud, Grand'Anse and Nippes, and three days later, battered by heavy showers caused by Tropical Depression Grace, affecting 800,000 people, including 340,000 children. As per the official data, over 2,200 people have died, some 115,000 homes, 97 health facilities and 1,250 schools were destroyed or damaged.