An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck close to Port-au-Prince, Haiti at 16:53 (21:53 GMT) on 12th January 2010. It was followed by two aftershocks which measured above 5.9.
Within seconds, Haiti was thrown into chaos as buildings in the capital started to collapse - including hospitals, UN offices, and schools, trapping those inside. Whole streets have been destroyed.
It is estimated that approximately one third (3 million) of Haiti's population has been affected, and that the death toll may reach 50,000.
The BBC's Andy Gallacher in Port-au-Prince says "those that survived the massive earthquake are now dying in huge numbers, and clean water, food and medical supplies are desperately needed".
It is a sad fact that disabled people are the most vulnerable in a disaster and emergencies like these create more people with disabilities especially physical and physiological.
Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere and people with disabilities are amongst the poorest of the poor. They are the most vulnerable people in natural disasters, often finding it difficult to find essential help and care.
"Our greatest concern right now is for the injured,” says Valerie Scherrer, CBM Emergency Coordinator. “Many of the hospitals in Port au Prince have been damaged, some even destroyed; and those that are still open are overwhelmed with patients. If they don’t receive attention soon their injuries could be life threatening, or cause life-long disabilities."
CBM has been working in Haiti since 1976 and we currently have two disability programmes already in Haiti funded by our UK supporters, one of which is based in the capital city which has been severely affected.
These Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) programmes work in the local communities around Haiti to provide essential rehabilitation services to people with disabilities. The majority of this work concentrates on children with disabilities who live in rural and slum areas. It is likely that many of these children have been injured or killed but in any case, they will need urgent assistance.
CBM is right there to provide essential rehabilitation to disabled people and their families, including medical care, physiotherapy, nutrition support and orthopaedic aids. This work provides essential services to people with disabilities.
It will be a long time until Haiti returns to some kind of order, but CBM will still be there to continue the long term support for people with disabilities, offering medical care and vocational training, helping people with disabilities to earn a living and lift themselves out of poverty.
If you're trying to find a gift for that person who has everything, or you're simply fed up with Christmas shopping queues and blues, why not shop online for a gift that someone else really needs this Christmas?
With gifts starting from just £5.00, you can help CBM to provide treatment, rehabilitation, training and education to those who are living with a disability, or are at risk of one, in the developing world.
To restore an adult's sight from Cataract costs just £20.
To train a local person as a Health Care Worker - giving a whole community a person who can help protect them from disability, and spot the risks and early signs of disability. All for just £30.
These really are Incredible Gifts.
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