Completed Programs

1998

CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN – Hurricanes Georges and Mitch

Nearly 5,000 houses were built during 1999 to 2000 in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic in response to the destruction brought by hurricanes Georges and Mitch in 1998.

1999

NORTH CAROLINA, USA – Hurricane Floyd
By 2002, Habitat affiliates in the state of North Carolina were able to build more than 60 recovery homes under the Hurricane Floyd Recovery Build program. Families who lost their homes when Hurricane Floyd hit in 1999 were back on their feet with the help of volunteers and other partners.

2000

GEORGIA, USA – Tornadoes
Sixteen homes were built during a blitz build for families who lost their homes to tornadoes in Camilla, Ga.

2001

INDIA – Gujarat Earthquake
In partnership with other organizations, Habitat built homes for families left homeless when an earthquake shook the region in January 2001. The Habitat for Humanity project was completed in 2003 when 664 houses were built in the villages of Sikhra and Khumbariya.

2002

AFGHANISTAN – Complex Humanitarian Emergency and Earthquake
In northern Afghanistan, Habitat for Humanity provided materials, tools and technical expertise to Afghan families needing to rebuild or repair their houses damaged by one of the worst complex disaster situations in the world that included armed conflict, civil unrest, a four-year drought and an earthquake.

Returning home from refugee camps, thousands of Afghans found their houses completely destroyed or without any roof, doors or windows. These items were systematically looted from countless houses during the Taliban rule or damaged by war actions.

On March 25, 2002, a powerful earthquake exacerbated the situation, killing as many as 1,000 people and damaging thousands of homes in northern Afghanistan.

After 18 months of hard work in Afghanistan, nearly 335 families in the villages of Salbarun and Temorak in Balkh province received simple, decent Afghan dome houses to live in. In a partnership with Shelter for Life, Habitat also supported efforts to provide shelter assistance for up to 5,000 earthquake-affected families in Nahrin, Baghlan province.

2003

TENNESSEE, USA – Tornadoes
A tornado recovery program built homes for families affected by tornadoes that hit Jackson, Tenn., in May 2003. Through a series of partnerships, recovery homes were built as part of a broader alliance that supported up to 26 disaster-affected families in the area.

2004

CARIBBEAN – Multiple Hurricanes

During 2004 the island countries of Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Grenada were devastated by hurricanes, incredibly heavy rains and strong winds. Villages that were extremely poor before the devastation now had even fewer resources to manage their daily lives. Habitat for Humanity worked with communities in some of the most severely affected areas of these Caribbean nations to help them rebuild their homes and their lives.

In the Haitian communities of Fond Vertees, Les Cayes and Jacmel, Habitat worked with 130 local families to provide permanent housing solutions. In the Dominican Republic, nearly 100 families were assisted in the communities of Rio Mar, El Factor and Matancita. Throughout Jamaica, 210 families affected by Hurricane Ivan received assistance. A minimum of 155 low-income Grenadian families were also assisted with house repairs and construction skills training.

FLORIDA, USA – Storms
During hurricane season in 2004, thousands of families in many parts of Florida endured some of the most devastating hurricanes in recent history. In just six weeks, four massive storms pounded the state, tearing off roofs, knocking down walls and power lines, and leaving thousands homeless. Habitat for Humanity worked with communities throughout the state to build more than 60 new homes with affected families.

ANGOLA – Complex Humanitarian Emergency

Over the course of nearly three decades, Angola struggled to survive one of the most protracted conflicts in recent history. During this period, more than 4 million people were displaced and 400,000 fled as refugees to neighboring countries. Subsequent peace accords opened the door for families to return to their communities, only to find widespread destruction and ruin. Many lived in cramped refugee camps and temporary shelters. There was an overwhelming need for decent, safe and affordable shelter for families looking to rebuild their lives and provide a future for their children.

Habitat for Humanity worked to support more than 500 families with innovative programs that combined housing and savings schemes through the Save & Build program.

BURUNDI – Complex Humanitarian Emergency
Nearly 1,150 families were assisted with shelter in the Muyinga and Makamba provinces in Burundi after a decade-long civil war that displaced thousands of people. While hampered by poor infrastructure and lack of access to essential services, the provinces enjoyed a relatively stable and secure environment. With positive progress toward peace, more people were expected to come back to their villages. The need for shelter remained a high priority, especially in light of the fact that more than a quarter of a million homes had been destroyed nationwide as a result of the conflict.

2005

CENTRAL AMERICA – Hurricane Stan and Flooding
Hurricane Stan hit Veracruz, Mexico, on Oct. 4, 2005, and began generating separate storms that wreaked havoc throughout southern Mexico and parts of Central America. The heavy rainfall from the storms caused severe flooding and mudslides, affecting millions of people in Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador. More than 500,000 people lost their homes.

Nearly 200 families were assisted with new housing, repairs and rehabilitation in Quetzaltenango, Solosa, San Marcos and Jutiapa in Guatemala and Veracruz and Chiapas in Mexico. Response activities also included securing land to build new communities for villages that were completely destroyed by mudslides.

SIERRA LEONE – Complex Humanitarian Emergency
The Republic of Sierra Leone experienced a traumatic armed civil conflict for more than a decade, from 1991 to 2002. Habitat for Humanity International provided shelter assistance to 500 vulnerable families (representing approximately 3,500 individuals) returning from refugee camps. This intervention facilitated the resettlement of areas which were abandoned during the conflict.

2006

EL SALVADOR – Seismic Swarm
In December 2006 more than 1,000 tremors impacted western El Salvador. Approximately 3,700 homes were damaged or completely destroyed. Habitat for Humanity completed homes for 101 families devastated by this disaster. A second phase of this successful project is being implemented for an additional 100 families.

LEBANON – Complex Humanitarian Emergency
The July War of 2006 in Lebanon destroyed vital infrastructure and leveled buildings throughout the country, especially in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon. Nearly 1 million people were displaced internally during the war. The government of Lebanon estimated that nearly 100,000 homes were damaged during the conflict, while more than 11,000 homes were completely destroyed.

Habitat’s response focused on accelerating, monitoring and funding the repair and reconstruction of homes impacted by the fighting. This was complemented by an intentional effort to stimulate local economies in the service area. The program was implemented in three separate components:

1. Rapid shelter recovery and resettlement – A phased cash-disbursement methodology to accelerate shelter recovery in the rural southern villages of Lebanon. Focusing on salvageable structures, Habitat issued cash disbursements to beneficiary families for specific repairs. In total the program benefited 398 households (2,569 individuals) with an average repair cost of $2,713 per home. Additionally, the direct disbursement methodology led to an injection of $1,079,854 into the local construction industry helping to stimulate the economies of all villages in the service area.

2. Vocational training – YMCA Lebanon was selected as sub-grantee for the implementation of a vocational training program targeting unemployed youth and returnees in the villages of the Sur and Bint Jbeil kadaas. The three-month training program focused on installation of water and electrical networking in homes. In total 42 students participated in the program with 37 graduating. This had the added benefit of accelerating shelter recovery by augmenting the available skilled labor workforce.

3. Shelter repair and protection – One of the largest gaps that emerged in the early shelter recovery environment was the indirectly impacted apartment buildings of Beirut’s southern suburbs. Habitat subcontracted two waterproofing companies and sealed the roofs of 33 buildings in the service area. This total represents 488 households (2,471 beneficiaries).

ROMANIA – Floods
The floods along the Danube River in 2006 were among the most devastating in 100 years. Habitat for Humanity International and UNICEF-Romania funded the project that was started in November 2006 in the Danube shore villages of Bechet, Macesu de Jos and Carna and ended in June 2007. The intervention project was successful in assisting nearly 200 needy families whose homes were either completely destroyed or had structural problems.

2007

INDONESIA – Earthquake 2007
In the aftermath of the earthquake, HFH Yogyakarta launched immediately into assisting local communities. Volunteers and staff cleared debris and helped other organizations distribute tarpaulins, emergency generator sets and other materials.

Two weeks later, the affiliate began the long task of rebuilding. The focus was on building core houses that could be enlarged at a later date. In addition, through Re-Act (Reaching out Architect) – a three-month apprentice program for architectural or civil engineering students – Habitat was able to tap more than 40 local university students to assist Habitat field staff in consulting communities about rebuilding.

Several months after the earthquake, HFH Yogyakarta also rebuilt 60 houses for people injured by the earthquake. The affiliate completed the rebuilding program in mid-2007, exceeding its original target by helping more than 1,000 families rebuild their homes and lives. The higher figure was made possible largely through cost savings. The house costs were lower than estimated as bricks, wooden frames and roofing were salvaged and reused. Labor costs were kept low by gotong royong – a strong grassroots-level community spirit. Most of the labor for rebuilding came from the community itself.