Earthquake-Displaced Haitians Strain Family Resources

31 March 2010

The Guerriere household has nearly doubled in size since taking in friends after the earthquake.

Irene Guerriere's quiet, tree-lined home in Gonaives is a 100 kilometers north of the epicenter of Haiti's January 12 earthquake and a world away from the destruction in Port-au-Prince. But even here in Gonaives, her family feels the effects of the quake every day.

Following the disaster, an estimated 600,000 people fled the devastated capital and surrounding areas to seek safe haven with friends and family, such as Guerriere, in the countryside.

But the extra mouths to feed are straining their hosts' resources to the limit and pushing more people into hunger.

Helping the Haitian countryside deal with the massive influx of people displaced from the earthquake-affected areas is one of the urgent needs being addressed at a United Nations donors' conference in New York.

VOA - J. SwicordAll across Haiti, families that struggled to feed themselves before the earthquake now find themselves with hungry guests.

The conference aims to raise $11.5 billion to rebuild the nation over the next 10 years.

The search for loved ones

When she first heard about the earthquake, Guerriere says, "My first reaction was, 'I have to get to Port-au-Prince because my daughter is there. I have to find out what happened to her.'"