Social Issue

In October the 4th, 2016, southwest Haiti suffered from Hurricane Matthew. A Category 4 out of 5 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale that left hundreds dead and 2.1 million Haitians without shelter, food, clean water, or medical care. Of these, 1.4 million needed immediate help. In addition to destroying the country’s road communications, the fact that the hurricane affected the island during the second season of the main harvest, caused up to 80% of the crops to be lost, leading to a zone of food insecurity. As a direct consequence of the devastating phenomenon, cholera spread rapidly through the area, causing more deaths than the hurricane itself.

Our Response

The fundamental objectives of the project were the following:

• Prevent famine in order to save lives: distribution of food, drinking water, and drinking tablets to prevent the spread of cholera. Restore small farms and livestock and provide fishing boats.
• Strengthen access to health: Distribution of oral rehydration solution, provide primary medical assistance or transfer seriously ill patients to hospitals.
• Assist in rebuilding the community: move families to temporary shelters, provide construction materials, repair bridges, deliver basic supplies, and create jobs.

Expected Social Impact

This donation has benefited around 5,000 families. The objective has been to attend to the most urgent needs of the millions affected by the catastrophe.