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ArcelorMittal Supports Emergency Intervention in Haiti
Jan. 19, 2010 The ArcelorMittal Foundation supports an intervention from the organization Médecins sans frontières (MSF) for the victims affected by the earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
The Foundation will donate US$100,000 to enable this MSF intervention, which aims to address the needs of around 70,000 people. The decision was made by the Group Management Board two days after the earthquake.
"We were all very shocked when we saw what had happened during this terrible earthquake and felt we had to do something to support the population," said Felicidad Cristobal, Managing Director of the ArcelorMittal Foundation. "This is the first step taken by ArcelorMittal on a global level. We will also be encouraging other local initiatives to support the people of Haiti."
The company has helped victims of other natural disasters, including the Italy earthquake (April 2009), the cyclone in Myanmar (May 2008), the earthquake in Sichuan (2008), and the sustained support to the region affected by hurricane Katrina in the U.S. (2005).
The MSF intervention in Haiti will concentrate on reducing the morbidity and mortality among the affected population in the Ouest district of the Island. This includes treating the injured, providing primary health care to the affected population, and ensuring follow-up, prevention, and treatment of potential epidemic diseases.