(Editor’s note: This story was updated on October 11, 2016.)
According to the latest estimates from the government of Haiti and the United Nations, Hurricane Matthew resulted in the deaths of 300 people in Haiti, and left more than 1.4 million people in need of assistance. Action Against Hunger, which has been working in Haiti for 30 years, has completed rapid emergency assessments. We have launched immediate programs to assist hurricane victims, prioritizing efforts to deliver safe water, ensure adequate sanitation, and prevent an outbreak of cholera.
On October 11, we shipped 20 tons of emergency relief supplies to Haiti via Airbus from our logistics base in France.
Our emergency teams are responding now in the Lower Northwest of Haiti (specifically Bombardopolis) and in North Artibonite: both areas were strongly affected by the hurricane and are at particular risk of cholera. Families in the Lower Northwest and North Artibonite struggle with chronic poverty and weak infrastructure for water: the hurricane has damaged homes, crops, roads, in these already vulnerable communities.
Action Against Hunger is distributing emergency hygiene kits and safe water to displaced people in emergency shelters and health centers. Our teams are also preparing distributions of food to meet the urgent needs of people affected by the disaster.
Health officials have already reported 30 new cases of cholera in affected areas in Haiti in the days following the hurricane: Action Against Hunger has deployed mobile emergency teams to at-risk areas to identify cases of cholera, provide treatment to people who have been infected, and contain the cases to prevent the spread of this highly contagious disease if necessary.
We have mobilized our emergency response team from Paris, and we sent 20 tons of emergency supplies from our logistics headquarters to Haiti to meet the needs of disaster victims.
We are committed to meeting the great needs in Haiti, and to helping as many children and their families as possible.
