Haïti

The Republic of Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas. For several decades, its people have lived through poverty, violence, instability and dictatorship, which have hampered the country’s development. Not to mention the numerous natural disasters, i.e. earthquakes, cyclones and landslides, that are made even worse by environmental problems such as deforestation. In a context such as this, people with disabilities are particularly vulnerable. Handicap International had intervened in Haiti following the three hurricanes that ravaged the country in 2008.
After the earthquake on 12 January 2010, given the gravity of the situation, Handicap International Belgium was one of the agencies that intervened in order to assist the numerous victims.

Handicap International Belgium chose to initially concentrate on treating people wounded during the earthquake who needed rehabilitation.