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The 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Haiti in August 2021 brought an immense amount of devastation and need. More than 2,000 people were killed and 12,000 injured, many of whom lived in communities still struggling to recover from the 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew.

But the long-term impacts of a natural disaster can be harder to see: clinics that don’t reopen, roads that remain impassable, and illnesses brought on by a lack of clean water. These impacts are acutely felt in Haiti’s rural communities, where health care can be too expensive or too far away.

Project HOPE, with support from the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, is investing in Haiti’s longer-term recovery by connecting these communities to care through support like mobile clinics, clean water filters, and donations of medical supplies to equip doctors and nurses on the ground.

In outlying communities like Boucan and Mouline, it might be the only primary care families receive.

“We are doing mobile clinics each day. That’s the reason we drive more than two hours: in order to reach people in the most hard-to-reach areas in southern Haiti. The more supplies we can provide, the more people we can help. We don’t want to stop, because we are seeing lots of illness.”

The challenges are similar in Mouline. The community is located just a few miles from the town of Beaumont, where the nearest hospital is, but the drive can take 45 minutes due to rough roads and rubble. Walking takes much longer.

Some of the biggest problems here are infections due to unclean water. But since October, Project HOPE doctors have also seen an increase in child malnutrition, especially in young children. Haiti’s southern communities depend almost entirely on agriculture. After the earthquake, many families lost all their crops and now do not have enough food.

“It’s very important for us to keep helping people in need, in particular the most vulnerable communities. We know how difficult it is to find a doctor. There are no physicians in these communities, and these mobile clinics are the only opportunity for people in these remote communities to seek much needed medical help. The work that Project HOPE is doing in Haiti is very important.”

Are you a health-care or other professional who would like to learn more about volunteering abroad with Project HOPE? Learn more about our volunteer program and join our volunteer roster.

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