Haiti support from Vitens Evides International

Mission aimed at rapid restoration of drinking-water supply

Utrecht/Rotterdam, 18 January 2010. The Netherlands’ two largest drinking-water companies, Vitens and Evides, will be providing assistance to Haiti. A team of five experts will leave for the earthquake-battered country tomorrow morning to offer support in restoring the drinking-water supply in the capital of Port-au-Prince. The mission is the initiative of Vitens Evides International, a partnership between the two water companies. The organisation has many years’ experience in supporting drinking-water companies in various developing countries.

Restoring basic drinking-water supply
The earthquake has destroyed much of Haiti’s drinking-water infrastructure. The team will work in conjunction with the local water company to restore the basic infrastructure and ensure access to drinking water as soon as possible. The first priority will be to restore the water supply for the very weakest residents and for services such as hospitals.

International Donors Conference on Haiti in Montreal
At the request of the World Bank, the Vitens Evides International team will also explore ways of realising a more structural solution. It will also calculate how much money will be needed to that end. The World Bank wants to use this information in preparation of International Donors Conference on Haiti to be held on 25 January in the Canadian city of Montreal. The information is aimed at helping the countries participating in the conference to make the appropriate choices.

UNICEF / International Red Cross
Gerhard van den Top, director of Vitens Evides International: “It is imperative to restore the basic drinking-water infrastructure. The mission will focus on Port-au-Prince, as the city lies in the area that has been hardest hit by the earthquake. Our strength, experience and expertise lie in the provision of drinking-water in urban areas. In this mission, we will be cooperating closely with partners such as UNICEF and the International Red Cross. They are taking care of the initial emergency relief, while we provide the more structural solutions.”

NOTE TO THE EDITORS

For more information, please contact Patrick Harms (Vitens Evides International) by calling +31(0)6 13 88 52 35.