A woman washing dishes outside her tent in Haiti.

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Haiti - backgrounder for students

Haiti's history and politics has made recovery from a January 2010 earthquake complex and difficult.

Haiti is a very poor country that suffered a string of natural disasters even before the January 2010 earthquake. Its infrastructure is basic, and it has a history of weak democracy, so successive governments have not been able to focus attention on the real needs of their people.

Caritas works with the poorest of the poor. That is our mission and purpose. The Caritas network has been active in Haiti for more than 50 years, working in health, education, water and sanitation, agriculture, peace building, providing food, and supporting people living with HIV and AIDS.

Despite the challenges, Haiti is a beautiful country. The people are passionate, resilient and hard-working. They never give up – they keep bouncing back and rebuilding their lives and nation. We can support them by our prayers, learning more about Haiti, and making donations to help them rebuild.

Caritas emergency response in Haiti