Haiti: water for Cité Soleil

11-01-2013 Photo gallery

Most people in Cité Soleil live in extreme poverty. To make matters worse, no public services operated there between 2004 and 2007 because the level of violence meant it was simply too dangerous. People lacked even the most basic of services, like water and sewerage. In 2005, the ICRC decided to restore Cité Soleil’s water supply system to working order. Now, four pumping stations and almost 40 water distribution points have been repaired, bringing a reliable water supply to the 240,000 people who live here.

- Cité Soleil, a large working-class area of Port-au-Prince, is just starting to recover from years of violence, during which it was too dangerous to provide even the most basic of services.
  © ICRC / G. Guidotti
- There was no mains water, and no sewerage. This piece of waste ground was flooded with stagnant rainwater, as the drainage system had stopped working.
  © ICRC / D. Révol / ht-d-00035
- Lack of maintenance, due largely to the dangers of working in the area, meant that the water supply system was in a very dilapidated state. The residents of Cité Soleil took major risks and had to travel a long way to collect water.
  © ICRC
- In 2005, the ICRC started working on restoring a regular supply of water to the residents of Cité Soleil.
  © ICRC
- 2007. Residents of Cité Soleil collect water at one of the distribution points repaired by the ICRC.
  © ICRC
- The January 2010 earthquake damaged the water supply system of Cité Soleil. The ICRC repaired several distribution points.
  © ICRC / M. Kokic
- 2011. Work continues on setting up and equipping one of Cité Soleil’s four pumping stations. These four pumping stations are supplying not only Cité Soleil but other parts of Port-au-Prince as well.
  © ICRC
- Today, 37 of Cité Soleil’s 53 distribution points are working again. The people of this area can obtain approximately 15 litres of drinking water per person per day, at a very reasonable price. The authorities have now resumed responsibility for operating the water system.
  © ICRC / J. Charles / ht-e-00665

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Haiti: boosting Cité Soleil's water supply