Leogane, Haiti – February 10, 2010 – Five hundred families in Leogane, Haiti, received plastic shelter materials on Tuesday from IRD. Another 500 families will receive shelter materials later this week. The distribution is part of a larger IRD program in coordination with partners and donors on the ground that hopes to provide more permanent shelter solutions in the coming weeks and months.

Leogane was one of the towns closest to the epicenter of the January 12 earthquake. It is estimated that Leogane experienced 90 percent destruction and 100 percent of the population was affected. Adam Koons, IRD Director of Relief, described the scene like this, “The entire population was sleeping outside, in makeshift shelters of plastic and cloth, in spontaneous settlements within and outside the town center. When we found the mayor, he was camped outside his broken house. The mayor told us they need virtually everything because the population had lost virtually everything.” In addition to the shelter needs of Leogane, IRD will also focus its long-term attention on larger sanitation system and water infrastructure repairs.

Since arriving in Haiti, IRD’s emergency relief team has also been able to distribute water, hygiene kits, and solar flashlights to help with local security patrols at night. The team is also working to coordinate the shipment and distribution of more than $9.5 million worth of donated commodities, including medical supplies, medicines, rehydration salts, water purifiers, shelter materials, school kits, hygiene kits, and solar-powered lights.

Cash contributions continue to be critical to the relief efforts in Haiti:

An estimated 3.5 million individuals have been affected by this disaster, and the number of deaths is expected to be at least 100,000. The IRD Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund has raised nearly $200,000 to help the people of Haiti. Those who wish to donate can also call 1-866-595-1100, or text REBUILD to 85944.

You can stay up-to-date on the latest Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts by following us on Twitter @ird_relief, or become a fan of us on Facebook under the name International Relief and Development. You can also read more about the team's experiences in IRD's blog, Voices from the Field, or see the photo gallery of the assessment and the team's time in Haiti.

To request an interview, please contact Melissa Price at press@ird-dc.org or 571-366-1596.