“Over the past six months, I have made three trips to Haiti, and each one has left me filled with a mixture of hope and despair. Tremendous progress has been made, and the resiliency of the Haitian people is inspirational, but immense needs still remain.

 

People I saw walking through the streets of Port-au-Prince after the earthquake with little more than their shock and grief are now living under at least tarps or tents. In addition, many Haitians have access today to more reliable supplies of food, clean water, sanitation and, in some cases, better health care than they did before the earthquake.

 

And new American Red Cross programs will provide financial assistance that will empower families who once stood in line for relief distributions to buy some of the things they need most, which in turn should help stimulate the country’s economy.

 

But for every sign of optimism in Haiti, there is a sad reminder of how much more remains to be done.

 

Rubble fills many side streets in Haiti’s capital. Tents and tarps cover nearly every open space, and land ownership is still unresolved, leaving few places to build the thousands of much-needed transitional shelters. And threats of crime and infectious disease outbreaks are prevalent.

 

We know the crisis is not over and the recovery process will be long and difficult. Haiti and its people must rebuild their homes, economy, health systems, schools and transportation network. With an estimated $12 billion needed to rebuild Haiti, the needs are far beyond the capacity of the Red Cross alone to fix, and will require the collective efforts of governments and humanitarian groups around the world.

 

I want to assure everyone who generously donated to us that the American Red Cross and the global Red Cross network are doing the absolute best we can to help as many people as possible in Haiti—and your dollars are making a big difference. The American Red Cross spends 91 cents of every dollar on our humanitarian mission, and we will spend the funds donated for Haiti relief and recovery transparently and wisely. The American Red Cross will be in Haiti until the last donated dollar is spent, and thanks to your generosity, we are making a difference in the lives of the Haitian people.”