Devastation from last week’s hurricane was expected to be bad, but as teams of aid workers arrived in Sud and Grand ‘Anse regions — the hardest hit areas of Haiti — the assessment of the situation was more dire than anyone expected.
.@USAID #HurricaneMatthew damage assessments continue in #Haiti. These pix fr our disaster team surveying Les Anglais commune in Sud region. pic.twitter.com/KIeqURrl1y
— USAID/OFDA (@theOFDA) October 9, 2016
As many as 175,500 people have been displaced from their homes and the UN estimates that 1.4 million people need humanitarian assistance in Haiti. The storm also took the lives of hundreds of people, leaving families and communities mourning as they try to get back on their feet. USAID’s disaster assistance response team (DART) acted quickly alongside the Department of Defense and other partners to assess the damage and mobilize suppoto those affected. You can read about our initial hurricane response efforts here. We have now reached one week since the storm hit, and USAID is continuing to work with NGO and government partners on the ground to address the most critical needs: food, shelter and safe drinking water.
Statement by USAID Administrator @GayleSmith on escalating humanitarian response to #HurricaneMatthew: https://t.co/rptS52Cz7P pic.twitter.com/7lxAD0VbDV — USAID (@USAID) October 8, 2016
To coordinate efforts to dispatch food assistance as quickly as possible, the USAID DART has formed Joint Task Force Matthew with the U.S. Southern Command. As many storm-affected areas are inaccessible by land, airlifting supplies to remote areas is necessary. Numerous U.S. military helicopters are transporting humanitarian supplies and emergency commodities to the field. Approximately 400 military personnel are already on the ground and more are on their way.
#HurricaneMatthew relief #Haiti: 12 US military helos have delivered 186K of aid; #USSIwoJima to arrive tomorrow https://t.co/WfDkxKPYPz pic.twitter.com/FIXZyMifzC — US Southern Command (@southcomwatch) October 11, 2016
Immediate funding was distributed to NGO partners, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and CARE, to mobilize food assistance operations. On Oct. 9, WFP distributed 1,000 monthly food rations -- nearly 1,000 metric tons -- in the Les Cayes commune in Sud. Over the weekend, CARE provided hot meals to 9,900 people in four regions. And, USAID delivered more than 6,600 boxes of ready-to-use foods (items like partially precooked meals, high-energy biscuits and compressed food bars) to Haiti. CARE is also distributing food vouchers, cash transfers and rations to others in need.
CARE emergency crews are on the ground in #Haiti. We have reached 12K people with hot meals & clean water. pic.twitter.com/pcgIeA1tfS — CARE (care.org) (@CARE) October 11, 2016
Footage of @USArmy helicopters & crew delivering @WFP #HurricaneMatthew aid in #Haiti yesterday. pic.twitter.com/J8kIcjC6pB — US Southern Command (@southcomwatch) October 11, 2016
By Oct. 11, five USAID cargo flights will have delivered more than 480 metric tons of emergency commodities to Haiti from warehouses in Miami, Florida and Pisa, Italy. The cargo includes enough hygiene kits, plastic sheeting, kitchen sets and blankets to help an estimated 100,000 people.
LOOK INSIDE @USAID's #4 cargo plane to #Haiti that landed this AM. We airlifted ~ 350 metric tons of relief supplies. 1 more flight tomorrow pic.twitter.com/M02NyFE4bi — USAID/OFDA (@theOFDA) October 10, 2016
Residual Concerns: Cholera and Economic Recovery
As short-term needs are met, USAID is also trying to plan for the obstacles that may be encountered during recovery. A trickle of early cases of cholera — a waterborne illness that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration — are raising concern about further outbreaks. In addition to supporting cholera surveillance and water sanitation operations by the Haitian Ministry of Health, USAID and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are working with the Pan American Health Organization to plan for how they can prevent and respond to the disease.
#HurricaneMatthew PAHOWHO expects important upsurge cholera cases #Haiti. Experts deployed support operations. +INFO https://t.co/d0H5aAWEin pic.twitter.com/AzEZoKuOtS — PAHO/WHO (@pahowho) October 8, 2016
Ensuring the basic health, housing and humanitarian needs of Haitians impacted by Hurricane Matthew is just the first of many steps that will follow in the recovery. Supporting long-term opportunities for rebuilding communities and local economies will be critical. Watch for more news in the coming days of these efforts.
Editor's Note: This entry originally appeared on the USAID's Medium.com profile.
For more information:
Read about USAID’s response to Hurricane Matthew and find updates by visiting and visit usaid.gov/Matthew.
Follow@USAID and @theOFDA for updates on Twitter
For information on how you can help those affected by the hurricane in Haiti, please visit http://www.cidi.org/.