Supporting the public provision of potable water in a crisis context: GRET’s operations in Haiti following the earthquake of 12 January 2010

21/02/2011

GRET is a development NGO which has been providing support to public authorities and community organisations for more than 15 years to establish the provision of potable water in the poorest neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince. Following the earthquake of 12 January 2010, it found itself in an emergency context which completely disrupted its activities and modified the environment in which it was working. How did a development NGO present for so many years in Port-au-Prince position itself in relation to this extreme emergency context? What relations did it have with other actors both in terms of complementarity and competitivity and what added value did it bring? What operational principles did it adopt in a context where it was difficult to carry out long-term development activities?