It took just over 30 seconds to virtually destroy a city and towns in Haiti and change the lives of millions of people. But to undo the destruction wreaked by Haiti’s earthquake it will take many years.

Over 200,000 people disappeared under rubble on 12 January. People’s homes, the President’s palace, the cathedral, schools and many other buildings have collapsed.

Life can never be the same again for people in Haiti but Caritas is committed to rebuilding not just Haiti's destroyed infrastructure, but also to securing the dignity and long term development of all Haiti's people.

Caritas has helped over half a million people already with food. We are also providing emergency water, shelter and healthcare during the first two months.

In the longer term, Caritas will help people rebuild their lives and livelihoods. This means rebuilding houses and schools, it means creating work for people so they can earn some money, it means offering moral and psychological support. Caritas was working in Haiti before the disaster and will be there for years to come.

“We are facing certain questions. At the moment it’s all about the emergency, but one day the questions will be about reconstruction. That doesn’t mean rebuilding things as there where before; instead we have a chance to build a better Haiti in which people are at the heart of everything,” said Bishop Pierre Dumas, President of Caritas Haiti.