The Red Cross has helped more than 1.3 million people since the January 12th earthquake, and we will continue to aid hundreds of thousands more in Haiti in the months ahead.

• Due to the many complexities of this disaster - and the extraordinary needs of the Haitian people - the emergency relief phase could last up to 12 months. However, the first steps of recovery work will begin soon. The American Red Cross has had a permanent presence in Haiti, and we expect to be involved in recovery efforts for years to come.
• The needs in Haiti are immense, and no single organization can help Haiti recover. Haiti was already one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, and it is clear that what took minutes to destroy will take many years and the collective support from governments and relief agencies around the world to repair. We will work closely with other organizations to collaborate on and support long-term recovery projects.

Food & Relief Supplies:

• Volunteers from around the world, including those from the American Red Cross, are actively distributing food and other supplies, like tarps, rope, hygiene kits, water containers and cooking items. So far, at least 1.3 million people have received these basic, yet life-sustaining items.
• Distributions continue regularly throughout urban settlements and in surrounding areas reaching approximately 12,000 people each day.

Water & Sanitation:

• The Red Cross has delivered more than 25 million liters of safe drinking water in 110 different settlements since the earthquake. That translates to approximately 1.25 million liters per day - enough for 320,000 people.
• To address sanitation needs and prevent the spread of disease, the Red Cross and its partners have collectively set up 2,600 latrines to date.

Health:

• More than 25,000 people or between 1,000 - 1,300 patients a day have been treated by Red Cross health care facilities and mobile teams.
• In partnership with the Haitian government and UN agencies, the Red Cross is helping to promote a vaccination campaign in Haiti to protect children under the age of 6 against measles and other infectious diseases. So far, nearly 27,000 children have been vaccinated. The first phase of the campaign will continue into March and aims to reach 250,000 children.

Restoring Family Links:

• The Red Cross has the unique responsibility and expertise to help reconnect separated families in Haiti.
• Caseworkers are helping people register at the official family linking Web site, place phone calls to loved ones abroad and find family members scattered throughout different settlements in Port-au-Prince. So far, nearly 33,000 people have been assisted in this way.
• The American Red Cross is also supporting Haitian-Americans and others living in the United States who are looking for immediate relatives in Haiti.

All humanitarian organizations, including the Red Cross, are racing against the clock to provide waterproof shelter to everyone who needs it before the rainy season begins in April. While this will likely take longer than we'd like, the Red Cross is already finding temporary solutions to support the Haitian government and address this complex situation.

• Initially, the Red Cross plans to provide emergency shelter supplies - tents, tarps or tools - for 400,000 people (approximately 1/3rd of the estimated 1.2 million in need of shelter) before the rainy season officially begins. We have already provided these items to nearly 139,000 people (27,000 families) and thousands more shelter supplies will be distributed in the days ahead. We have also begun to provide transitional shelter supplies with timber to families in Leogane and Port-au-Prince.
• Looking ahead, Red Cross shelter experts are working with the Haitian community to identify appropriate transitional shelter options for 150,000 of the most vulnerable people before the Caribbean hurricane season starts.

The American Red Cross has spent or allocated $80 million of the approximately $306 million donated (as of 5 p.m. 02/23/10) to meet the most urgent needs of Haiti's earthquake survivors.

• To meet immediate needs, 69 percent of the funds spent or allocated by the American Red Cross have been for food and water; 20 percent for shelter; and 11 percent for health and family services.
• Because of the generosity of donors, people in Haiti will receive both immediate relief and resources, support and training that will help them recover and rebuild.
• The Red Cross will continue to invest the money entrusted to us by the American people in the most responsible way.
• People can donate in support of the relief effort in Haiti at www.indyredcross.org or by calling 317-684-1441. Mobile donors can text "Haiti" to 90999 to make a $10 contribution.

The American Red Cross is in Haiti as a part of the broader and coordinated Red Cross and Red Crescent network.

• The American Red Cross has deployed more than 100 people to help with the relief efforts in Haiti, including staff members who were there at the time of the earthquake. In total, more than 600 Red Cross and Red Crescent workers from more than 30 countries are in Haiti, supporting the more than 3,000 Haitian Red Cross volunteers in Port-au-Prince and 10,000 HRC volunteers nationwide.
• Each Red Cross society team has its own roles and expertise on the ground. Working together, the global Red Cross network forms a very powerful engine for relief.
• This is the largest single-country relief operation in global Red Cross history. The number of international teams in Haiti is greater than the number that responded to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which spanned 14 countries.
• The American Red Cross is applying experience gained following other major disasters, including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. For the past five years, we have been working with partners to construct water and sanitation systems, providing emotional support and healthcare, building shelters, restoring livelihoods, and preparing communities for the next disaster.