ACF Mobilizes Emergency Response to Crisis In Haiti

The humanitarian aid organization Action Against Hunger | ACF International is gravely concerned about the catastrophic situation that Haiti, and the city of Gonaives in particular, faces after the passage of three successive hurricanes.

Torrential rains and heavy winds have continued to batter Haiti for more than two weeks, accompanying the three hurricanes Gustav, Hanna and Ike. Gonaives remains very difficult to access due to complete flooding and the destruction of many facilities in the city.

Action Against Hunger Mobilizes an Emergency Team

Action Against Hunger--which intervened in Gonaives in 2004 following the devastating passage of Tropical Storm Jeanne--is currently working in northwestern Haiti on water, sanitation and nutrition projects. This team, focused around Port-de-Paix, has supplied the city's population with water during the past week as they took refuge in shelters during the hurricanes.

Some members of the emergency team left Paris last Friday to reinforce those already on the ground. Other personnel (logisticians and water and sanitation specialists) will join them on Wednesday to help the disaster victims in Gonaives as quickly as possible.

ACF Activates its "Contingency Plan" in Haiti

Several years ago, Action Against Hunger established a local Emergency Plan in the event of natural disasters, which are unfortunately recurrent during the hurricane season. Supplies for water and sanitation relief (motor-pumps, flexible water tanks, water taps, treatment stations, etc.) were pre-stocked in Port-au-Prince and Port-de-Paix. This equipment will be transported to Gonaives as soon as possible.