On October 4th my colleagues and I anxiously watched the news as Hurricane Matthew tore through Haiti. All of us were hoping and praying that the damage would be minimal, but the storm was deadly. In the days before the hurricane, our staff in Haiti had amassed emergency supplies in case of the worst. They were able to dive in and help as the winds and rains died down, assessing damage and providing aid.
John Hasse, World Vision Haiti’s country director, told us, “In some parts of Haiti you have 90% of homes destroyed, plus people losing all of their crops. For them it’s not just about getting immediate relief supplies, it’s more like what happens next week, what happens next month?”
In the over a month since the storm hit, World Vision has provided emergency relief to over 68,000 people in some of the hardest-hit areas of the country. We’ve launched child friendly spaces where kids can get away from the chaos and be kids again.
But there is still so much to do as we work toward rebuilding Haiti. The risk of waterborne diseases like cholera has increased exponentially with the flooding. Damage to roads, schools and entire crops mean that Haiti will need significant resources to rebuilt.
The people of Haiti are in desperate need, but they are also resilient. These photos tell a story of great tragedy, community cooperation, and the strength of Haiti’s people to get up and begin rebuilding.
Roads were literally washed away in the floods
Homes have been decimated along the coast of Haiti in the community of Dupuy.
The winds were so strong that this roof was blown right into the road.
Our World Vision staff are providing things like blankets, tarpaulins, clean water, and hygiene kits to families.
People who were self-sufficient now have to rely on emergency aid. Family members carry home life-saving supplies to their loved ones.
This church building was completely destroyed. Yves, a church member, tries to salvage some of the materials so they can rebuild.
Gisèle, a mother of three, cleans her home from debris and mud.
Haitians are ready to rebuild their country in the wake of this storm, but without the resources to do so, the next months and years could be desperate. You can help provide emergency essentials like clean water, blankets, hygiene kits and more.
Despite the horror of an emergency like this, I am grateful that World Vision will be there in Haiti, as we have been for 38 years, to help farmers replant, families rebuild their lives, and children get back to learning. We're planning to help 75,000 farmers with agricultural recovery, and to distribute roofing kits to another 75,000 people, among other interventions.
As we begin to see signs of recovery, we hope you will continue to partner with us, and with the people of Haiti.