World Vision relief workers are in a race against time to save lives in Haiti after a devastating earthquake rocked the country on January 12. To-date, World Vision has distributed water, clothing, hygiene and kitchen sets to at least 2000 families and 11 hospitals have received medical supplies from the aid organization.

As the destruction is wide-spread and death toll is mounting to staggering numbers, World Vision Taiwan seeks to raise NT$60 million for the Haiti earthquake response and calls on the Taiwanese public to contribute to the relief efforts.

Hank Du, World Vision Taiwan Executive Director says: “Children are the most vulnerable in a natural disaster and Haiti was already the poorest nation in the western hemisphere before the earthquake. Help is urgently needed and the people of Taiwan can make a huge difference.”

World Vision humanitarian airlifts have commenced with its first planeload of supplies arriving in Port-au-Prince from Denver on Friday night, January 15 (local time). The airlift carried 18 metric tons of life-saving supplies for more than 5,000 people such as hygiene kits, blankets, water containers, and shelter materials. World Vision is planning more flights in the near future from Panama City, Toronto, and an additional flight from Denver, bringing more supplies, including medicines, tents, and shovels to remove debris.

Delivery of humanitarian aid in the first few days after the quake has been slow due to difficulties with broken infrastructure, limited airport capacity and security concerns. However, World Vision, with over 30 years experience of working in Haiti, had emergency supplies already prepositioned within the country when the earthquake occurred. In the immediate aftermath, World Vision was able to quickly begin distributing emergency survival kits including food, water, blankets and tents as well as kitchen sets, hygiene kits and water containers to earthquake survivors.

Mazard Guy, a World Vision beneficiary said, “Our biggest need is food and water.”

World Vision has also provided emergency health services to the injured by distributing much needed supplies to 11 hospitals in the Port-au-Prince area. A World Vision mobile clinic in Petion-Ville is attending to small injuries. World Vision volunteers are providing triage medical assistance at local clinics for the injured.

“Some volunteer teachers have been performing first aid to those who have been injured for the past days,” said Dave Toycen, spokesperson for World Vision’s Haiti response. However, he fears many will die of their injuries if not tended to soon. “We are racing against the clock.”

Many of the injured have started to develop gangrene because they did not receive timely and adequate medical care. Family members of patients are taking measures into their own hands since the hospital system is completely overwhelmed and suffering serious structural damages.

World Vision has started to identify children who have become separated from their parents. The aid agency has expressed concern about the number of children who are leaving Port-au-Prince and walking into towns outside the city to find help. World Vision’s Dominican Republic staff in the border town of Jimani are helping provide food, water, and medical care to hundreds of unaccompanied children who fled Port-au-Prince for the border, either alone or who became separated from parents along the way.

World Vision has deployed over 40 specialist relief staff to work on the earthquake response in Haiti and Dominican Republic (DR). Two operational centers established in PAP and Jimani, DR located in the border of Haiti and DR. Due to violence increasing, World Vision security staff has arrived in Port-au-Prince responsible for coordinating with the military, international agencies and other humanitarian responders for the smooth and safe delivery of assistance to the people who need it.

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit just south of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince shortly before 5pm (local time) on Tuesday, January 12.The latest reports say 150,000 to 200,000 people were killed and more than 3 million more – one third of Haiti's population – were hurt or left homeless.