FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 14, 2009

Contact: Caitlin Carlson, 503.548.8497, ccarlson@mercycorps.org

Joy Portella, 206.437.7885, jportella@sea.mercycorps.org

MERCY CORPS EMERGENCY RESPONSE SPECIALIST CALLS

WATER NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN HAITI

- Expert details aid agency’s plan to get clean water to quake survivors
- Agency warns of potential outbreaks of diarrhea, hepatitis, cholera

Portland, OR— Mercy Corps water and sanitation expert Mugur Dumitrache warned of the health
issues that threaten earthquake-devastated Haiti if survivors cannot access water. Calling clean water
the “number one priority,” Dumitrache detailed Mercy Corps’ work to quickly restore water and
sanitation services after major disasters. These efforts are just one element of Mercy Corps’ planned
response to this week’s 7.0 magnitude quake.

“Most people can live without water for only three or four days, but the sick, children and the elderly
don’t even have that much time,” said Dumitrache. “Getting as much water as possible to people as
quickly as possible is the number one priority.”

Lack of clean water for drinking and washing can lead to the spread of diseases such as diarrhea,
cholera and hepatitis – all of which can be deadly in a post-disaster setting. The risk of disease is
exacerbated by a lack of basic sanitation services like sewers, latrines and garbage collection. “You
wind up with people dying not only of critical injuries, but very preventable diseases,” explained
Dumitrache.

Dumitrache has overseen the implementation of innovative water and sanitation systems after
disasters such as the 2008 cyclone in Myanmar and last year’s earthquake in the Sumatra region of
Indonesia. He stressed that providing water to earthquake survivors can be a tough task that includes
finding water sources, purchasing trucks and tanks, hiring staff, and purifying and chlorinating large
quantities of water. If trucks cannot move through an area, alternative water sources such as wells
have to be found.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed this week that
Port-au-Prince’s water supply system had been cut off.

Filling the need for clean water is just one of the activities that Mercy Corps intends to undertake in
Haiti. In addition to filling survivors’ immediate needs, the agency plans to help revitalize the local
economy through cash-for-work programs and facilitate young people’s recovery from the
psychological trauma of the earthquake.

The first members of Mercy Corps’ emergency response team – all experienced professionals who
have responded to disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, the Wenchuan earthquake in China and
Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar – headed to Haiti this week. The team will seek to fulfill the most
pressing needs of quake survivors and help communities rapidly transition from immediate relief to
long-term rebuilding and recovery efforts.
The earthquake exacerbates an already dire humanitarian situation in Haiti, the poorest country in
the Western Hemisphere.

HOW TO HELP:
Mercy Corps
Haiti Earthquake Fund
Dept NR
PO Box 2669
Portland, OR 97208
www.mercycorps.org
1-888-256-1900

Mercy Corps helps people in the world’s toughest places turn the crises of natural disaster, poverty and
conflict into opportunities for progress. Driven by local needs and market conditions, our programs provide
communities with the tools and support they need to transform their own lives. Our worldwide team of
3,700 professionals is improving the lives of 16.7 million people in more than 40 countries. For more
information, see mercycorps.org.