Haiti: From Sustaining Lives to Sustainable Solutions: The Challenge of Sanitation

In Haiti, providing clean water and sanitation services is an enormous task. Before the earthquake, safe water access was amongst the lowest in Latin America and the Caribbean,  whilst access to sanitation was amongst the lowest in the world. The earthquake has made a bad situation so much worse.

This report focuses on one area of work; the provision of sanitation services. Sanitation demonstrates all the challenges and opportunities of responding to this catastrophic disaster in terms of health services, shelter etc. So often the neglected twin of water provision – which generally receives more attention and most of the available funding – effective sanitation is vital.

A key call of this report is that equal emphasis must be given both now and in the future to improving sanitation facilities. This will be instrumental in reducing disease, ensuring a healthy future and assuring the dignity of those whose lives have been affected by the tragedy of the earthquake.