Tyco International Joins Action Against Hunger to Provide Thousands of Liters of Clean Water in Haiti

NEW YORK, NY—In the wake of the January 12th Haitian earthquake that devastated much of the water infrastructure in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, Action Against Hunger | ACF International rushed to provide access to clean drinking water by setting up more than 40 emergency distribution points and repairing damaged systems serving hundreds of thousands of people. While these initial water interventions have been highly effective, the need for clean water continues to outstrip existing emergency infrastructure.

To expand the reach of these efforts, Action Against Hunger announced today that it has received a $100,000 grant from Tyco International to help provide clean water to people in need while longer-term repairs are made to existing supply systems and sanitation infrastructure. Tyco’s donation will enable ACF to deploy four large water “bladders,” each with a capacity of 10,000 liters for meeting the needs of roughly 1,500 people per day. With Tyco’s timely partnership, ACF will be able to provide emergency water supplies for the next two and half months.

“Action Against Hunger has a strong track record of working to provide people in countries around the world with access to clean water as part of a comprehensive approach to addressing hunger and malnutrition,” said Patrick Decker, President of Tyco Flow Control. “We are pleased to support ACF’s work in Haiti as a first step in building a partnership that aligns with our goal of supporting programs aligned with our commitment to clean water and a sustainable environment.”

Prior to the disaster, Action Against Hunger’s team in Haiti consisted of more than 100 public health professionals focused on areas where as much as 70% of the population lacked access to adequate sanitation. After the earthquake, ACF’s team became one of the first agencies to successfully organize distributions of clean water. Since then, ACF installed 41 reservoirs serving nearly 70,000 people across Port au Prince alone. In nearby Leogane, ACF restored a water treatment facility serving a population of 125,000, and its teams have worked to outfit hospitals and medical facilities in Gonaives with emergency access to clean water.

“Given the devastation in Haiti, this new partnership with Tyco International couldn’t be more timely,” said Nan Dale, Action Against Hunger’s U.S. Executive Director. “This is precisely the type of partnership that can be so effective in the immediate aftermath of natural disasters, and given Tyco and ACF’s joint commitment to addressing the need for providing access to clean water, we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Tyco in the years ahead.”

Action Against Hunger has implemented programs in Haiti since 1985, carrying out emergency measures in the areas of health and nutrition. Since 2001, ACF has focused primarily on food security and water, sanitation, and hygiene programs in both emergency and development contexts in Port de Paix, Gonaives, Anse Rouge and Jeremiah. ACF’s operational capacity will expand to ensure emergency programs for an estimated 8 to 10 months, at a total operational budget of around $15,000,000.