One year on, children in Haiti are still reeling from the lingering impact of the 12 January 2010 earthquake, the single largest catastrophe to hit the country in centuries.

Uneven access to basic services – combined with the risks posed by disease, exploitation and unsanitary conditions – remain as threats to Haiti’s children and families, according to a UNICEF report about to be released.

The report points out that more than 1 million people, including approximately 380,000 children, are still living in crowded camps in the earthquake zone. Despite the efforts of the Haitian authorities and the international community, the recovery process is still ongoing.

Recurrent crises have hit the population over the past 12 months, with the recent cholera outbreak claiming thousands of lives and slowing the pace of recovery.

In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake UNICEF and partners immunized almost 2 million children against preventable diseases such as measles, diphtheria and polio.

The establishment of schools by UNICEF and partners – either temporary tent classrooms or new semi-permanent structures – have allowed lessons to resume for some 720,000 children. About half Haiti’s children still do not attend school, however, and school construction continues to be hampered by rubble clearing and land-tenure issues.

In the wake of the disaster, children who had been separated from their families in the earthquake were registered and reunited with relatives. Today, almost 100,000 children in quake-affected areas have access to child-friendly spaces that provide a measure of normalcy in their lives.

While much has achieved under difficult conditions, the UNICEF report acknowledges that there is much more to be done to address long-standing inequities that have left many Haitian children impoverished and without access to basic services.

How you can help
Support UNICEF's vital work for children in Haiti.

Keep an eye out for UNICEF's Haiti report which will be on our website early next week.