submitted by Sara Lockwood
Next week marks the six-month commemoration of the earthquake that devastated Haiti last January 12th. For the next several days, we’d like to share more information here on IMPACT about what USAID and the US Government have been doing relieve the suffering of Haitians affected by the earthquake as well as how we are tackling Haiti’s longer-term development needs with the international community and in support of the Government of Haiti. And our best gauge of our impact is what Haitians themselves are saying about our work—that’s why we’re also highlighting first-person testimonials about the work we’ve been doing.
USAID is working with partner CHF to finish clearing the Grand Canal in the Solino neighborhood of Port‐au‐Prince. The canal is one of the largest and most important drainage mechanisms in the city; left uncleared and with the onset of the rainy season, the canal would have worsened sanitary conditions in the city.
Today, we’d like to include the work of one of our partners, CHF International, to clear the Grand Canal in the Solino neighborhood of Port-au-Prince. The canal is one of the largest and most important drainage mechanisms in the city–left uncleared and with the onset of the rainy season, the canal would have worsened sanitary conditions in the city and could have posed a threat to the safety of area residents.
Here’s what Madame Moude, who was displaced along with her husband and children to a camp after the earthquake, said about the canal clearance work. She currently runs a small stall in the growing market that runs along the Grand Canal.
The smell has been so bad for so long and we are very, very happy that they’re doing this; it will be much better here now.
CHF’s work is part of a larger program canal clearance program supported by USAID. We’re close to completing the clearance of nine priority canals throughout Port-au-Prince and continue to evaluate sites that may be problematic or even dangerous in the event of heavy rains.
