( CNN ) -- Still reeling from the January earthquake , Haiti is now in the grip of a deadly cholera outbreak . Aid organizations , already struggling to provide the most basic necessities , now face the possibility of a catastrophic epidemic . With this health crisis unfolding , relief leaders shared with CNN their views of where Haiti stands today , and what the country needs to get through to tomorrow . The International Rescue Committee was concerned that a waterborne disease outbreak would occur . Workers stockpiled rehydration salts , cleared water channels , and dug hundreds of emergency latrines . Even with planning for the worst , the IRC 's director of humanitarian affairs , Gerald Martone , was not surprised when the outbreak was identified as cholera . `` It is the most feared disease in disaster relief , because it spreads extremely quickly and is lethal . People can die in as short as four hours , '' he said . Much of the group 's health staff is returning to Haiti for this outbreak , and the IRC is trying to help stop the spread of the disease by protecting water sources , educating about proper hygiene , and improving disposal of human waste . Martone 's biggest concern is a possible outbreak of cholera in a crowded camp , which he likens to holding a match to a tinderbox . Thousands of Haitians have lived in densely populated tent camps since the earthquake destroyed their homes . `` In addition to preventing the spread of this disease , '' Martone said , `` you have to aggressively treat the people affected , as you only have a few hours before someone can die . This challenge will overwhelm the Haiti health system . '' For those wishing to help respond to the crisis , Martone suggests supporting charity medical organizations working in Haiti . The International Medical Corps is also responding to the outbreak , repositioning its doctors and nurses and setting up mobile clinics to create a perimeter around the contaminated zone . The group is calling for more nurses to volunteer and preparing its doctor and nurse networks abroad in case this becomes an epidemic . `` Cholera is not endemic to Haiti . It is a new disease and health professionals in Haiti do not have experience with it , '' said Margaret Aguirre , director of global communications for International Medical Corps . IMC 's medical teams are teaching Haiti 's health professionals how to identify , treat and prevent the disease , in addition to educating the community about proper hygiene and clean water . For Martone , the outbreak reflects the level of hygiene in Haiti . When he saw the squalid conditions in the camps in April , he realized that , despite the IRC 's best efforts , the longer people were forced to live in these unhealthy , filthy conditions , the more likely it was that cholera would break out . Aguirre also sees the continual displacement of the Haitian people as a constant concern . `` Water and shelter has been the continuing problem , it is a health issue , '' she said . The IMC medical staff is trying to transition from the acute emergency phase to a transitional phase , with more emphasis on long-term care . `` There is less wound care and a great need for more mental health care and chronic disease care , '' Aguirre said . However , IMC is still addressing the struggles with nutrition and hygiene that were present immediately after the earthquake . CAN-DO founder Eric Klein finds advancing the relief process challenging , especially when the initial needs are still not met . `` Food , water , housing , jobs and medical -- those are still the same five things that they need , '' Klein said . `` But now we also have to look to the longer goals , more permanent housing and infrastructure . We have to move to another phase , but the first is still not finished , so we have two phases at once now . '' His CAN-DO foundation is trying to do both . Workers are training Haitians to construct home , school and medical domes . `` You have so many camps with tents and tarps that have now rotted and are duct-taped together , '' Klein said . `` People will take anything . They need more tents , they will take them , tarps , anything , but that is like putting a Band-Aid on it . There needs to be a better solution . '' While his team tackles housing and the CAN-DO Orphanage Revitalization Project , it is still trying to conduct water and food truck drops . On delivery runs , Klein said he finds areas that have not seen distribution in months . Charity organizations are in the midst of transitioning their work force to address the desperate need for jobs . The IMC staff has changed since the earthquake to a more local face . CAN-DO has been training Haitians for housing construction and plans to help bring a factory to the country . `` Jobs is the biggest thing -- every single person you talk to wants to work , they are looking for jobs , '' Klein said . Until now , IRC was focused on education and training programs , instead of direct aid . `` Creating self-reliance is the goal , '' Martone said .
Emergency conditions make containing the cholera outbreak difficult . Aid groups focus on building houses and finding jobs for Haitians affected by the quake . Aid workers observe that food and water deliveries do n't get distributed for months at a time .