Thousands of homeless Haitians have set up temporary shelters in a soccer stadium near The Salvation Army's Port-au-Prince compound.

The UN has designated The Salvation Army as the “lead agency” responsible for the care of some 20,000 people made homeless by Haiti’s January 12 earthquake.  These survivors have established make-shift tent cities at a soccer stadium and another plaza near The Salvation Army’s main compound at Delmas 2 in Port-au-Prince.

What does it mean to be named “lead agency?” Basically, it’s great news for our relief workers coordinating efforts on the ground and the Haitians they serve. The Salvation Army will have a lead voice in representing to the UN the needs regarding food , shelter, medical supplies, and security for the thousands camped out near our headquarters. This distinction will help our team better access materials  and services from the UN to distribute among displaced families, children, and individuals.

As a part of our role as lead agency, The Salvation Army is registering Haitians who live in the tent cities which will enable workers to better understand the dynamics of the population, target their needs, and make distribution of supplies more efficient. This registration is important as UN deliveries of food rations will eventually become tied to numbers of registered people in any given district.

If you would like to stay up to date on The Salvation Army’s efforts in Haiti, you can visit our national website at www.salvationarmyusa.org or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.