November 17 2010

SOS facilities in Haiti's north after riots temporarily closed

16/11/2010 - On 15 November there were riots in the northern Haiti town of Cap Haitien in which at least one civilian was killed and five UN peacekeepers injured. All facilities of SOS Children's Villages in Cap Haitien are temporarily closed until the situation has calmed down.

Photo: Hilary Atkins
At the SOS Community Centre in Cap Haitien - Photo: Hilary Atkins
All children and SOS co-workers in Cap Haitien are safe. As a precaution the director of SOS Children's Village Cap Haitien has closed the social centre, the school and vocational training centre so that people are not put at risk. They will remain closed until the situation is deemed safe. In addition no one is allowed to leave the SOS Children's Village at the present time. Cap Haitien is the second location in Haiti where SOS Children's Villages is active.

Regarding the cholera outbreak, one child at an SOS Community Centre in Port-au-Prince became sick and is currently being treated. The coordinator of the SOS family programmes in Port-au-Prince is providing the community centres with cholera prevention information for the families.

SOS Children's Villages is operating 16 community centres and more than 100 food distribution points in Port-au-Prince to help children and their families in the aftermath of the January earthquake. For the prevention of cholera, the SOS School in Santo in Port-au-Prince has also trained the pupils in washing procedures and hygiene awareness.