In response to the desperate need for water in and around Port-au-Prince, PSI has secured water purification solution to provide survivors with 30 million liters of safe water to drink.
More than 1 million sachets of P&G’s PUR Purifier of Water, currently stored in a PSI warehouse in Panama, will be brought into the country. Another 25,000 bottles of PSI’s local safe water system Dlo Lavi will be shipped from a Miami storehouse to Haiti.
PSI has been working in Haiti for more than 20 years and had 100 staff on the ground when the earthquake struck. Its top priority now, beyond ensuring the safety and security of all staff members, is to make certain there is an ongoing supply of clean drinking water for those in need. With the mass movement of people in and out of the capital and the ongoing lack of drinking water, sanitation and health care services, people in Haiti are at increased risk of contracting diseases such as diarrheal disease and other waterborne illnesses.
PSI has launched an appeal for funds to help support these efforts. It has also deployed a special response team to the region to further assess the situation and help reinforce relief efforts on the ground. The special response team is also tasked with locating PSI/Haiti staff members who remain missing.