FORROS is looking at a new way of managing and distributing foreign aid. An assessment of the needs or project must be completed before the disbursement of any funds. In the case of Hurricane Matthew, the needs are evident. Homes need to be rebuilt. Some of them may need a new rooftop. Walls have to be repaired. In most cases, basic needs have to be taken care of. Water, food, and sheet metals are needed.
Donate whatever amount you can
You can start with http://foodfuel.blogspot.com that is doing a fundraiser for three coastal communities in Leogane, Grand-Goave, and Petit-Goave.
Donate whatever amount you want to
Another great organization I will refer you to is http://christianfriendshipministries.org. It has a superb US-based board of directors who are reaching out to the needy ones in Northern Haiti, especially Pignon. CFM leaders are thinking about reaching out to the victims of Matthew in the southern part of Haiti. You can eventually travel with their teams or contribute to their current relief project. The more funds they can collect, the faster they can go. They have lots of experience of traveling to Haiti, mostly in the North. We know that they will go wherever the needs take them. So be part of their next team!
Thousands of survivors will need shelters and food from the civil protection officials and the current government. Many of them will perish unfortunately. They may not be reached on time. Scarcity is the name of the game. A few people will try to control everything.
Here is a summary of most people's observation in Haiti: " Houses have lost their rooftops; they have been damaged and the winds are very powerful." Dr. Leger said, ""Many, many roofs are completely off. Many trees down, and destroyed walls. Roads are blocked. There is damage. People are staying indoors - the wind has started again. Nothing is normal now, and it's not likely to be until tomorrow."
(Some of these pictures are from my family members' properties. They are sent by a nephew.)
Jeremie suffers the most from Hurricane Matthew's trail of misery and tears. The number of dead bodies continues to rise.
(These pictures are from Google/Reuters)
Nottingham Trent University Expert, Dr. Steven Godby said, this about Haiti's natural hazards, "
As Matthew churns along the coast of Florida, its impact in Haiti is becoming clearer as humanitarian agencies begin to reach the worst affected area. A storm of this magnitude was always likely to prove catastrophic wherever it made landfall, but Haiti is particularly vulnerable to natural hazards. The poorest nation in the western hemisphere, it has struggled in recently with drought and food insecurity, the devastating earthquake of 2010, environmental degradation and political instability. In addition to the loss of life and damage to infrastructure there will be longer term impacts. Almost 40% of Haitians work in agriculture and many are subsistence farmers who be severely affected by the heavy rains. The loss of homes, livelihoods and savings will impact communities long after the relief operation for Matthew has finished, leaving them vulnerable and magnifying the impacts of future events.”
MatthewHaiti, #FromVilledesCayesToPortauPrince, #MatthewBilan, #MatthewToll: 145 mph. Wind, Pelting Rain, Overflowing Rivers, and large-scale Flooding are the brief and sad memories of fast-moving Hurricane Matthew in Haiti's southern Provinces. Land fall lasted less than 1 hour 45 minutes at Les Anglais, but its toll is long-lasting.
From Port-au-Prince, Léogâne, Grand-Goâve, Petit-Goâve, to Port-Salut, Dumont, Côteaux, Carpentier, Roche-à-Bateaux, Port-à-Piment, Tiburon, Dame Marie, Anse-à-Veau, Hurricane Matthew left behind a trail of tears, losses in properties and human lives.
Flash flooding initiated the destruction. It soon changed streets into rivers that carved their way in front of my maternal aunt's residence on their way to the ocean. The rising sea level has long forced itself onto the many coastal localities and even the boulevard at Anse-à-Veau. At Tiburon, the ocean entered the city. It found no residents of the city because they were earlier encouraged to look for a higher ground and refuge. The boulders knocked off the mountains by the 145m/hr. wind were transformed into weapons that rolled down to crush homes and plantations in the plains or lower flat lands. In Léogâne, my nephew reported that the mangos and bananas are gone. Such are some of the fruits people depend on for their livelihood. He also reported that people were afraid of the howling winds and strong waves slamming the beaches in Grand-Goâve . My paternal uncle's home could not resist such natural fury. It appears my old and bed-ridden uncle was spared from such a direct blow thanks to his kids' quick rescue. Such was not the case of most other neighbors who witnessed the roof of their homes being flown away. They quickly found themselves in the cold wind and pelting rain. As far as the inhabitants of Léogâne, they could not help their dying neighbors from the overflowing of the nearby rivers. Mango trees and other fruit trees became their immediate refuge. They soon became powerless in front of the wind's strength that uprooted them.
Until age 22, I experienced many hurricanes in my birth country.
On these days, the idyllic calm shown in the picture of my background page was gone. Once again, life will be back to normal but not without the pain and the hardship of rebuilding in a poor, resilient country marked by its series of natural disasters.
#Update1
#UpdateonMatthewHaiti, #MatthewHaiti, #MatthewGrandGoâve
A lot of residents of GG (my hometown), especially Thozin and Jeanty communities, found refuge at my sister's residence. Once they found out their homes and belongings were destroyed, they have decided to stay with her. Her husband and she are now responsible for providing them with shelter, necessary food and supplies. They came to her because she was a former mayor of the town.
Needless to say that resources are very limited and her family's emergency supplies are dwindling rather quickly!
This is a case of emergency.
#Update2
The United Nations is calling Matthew “the largest humanitarian event” in Haiti since the earthquake and said “much of the population” has already been displaced, according to Mourad Wahba, the deputy special representative for Haiti.
He said that at least 10,000 people were in shelters and the country was running short of clean water.
Haiti's Civil protection agency said more than 10,000 lost their homes and properties in the hurricane and they will need every type of assistance.
Here is another great organization to donate to for the Haiti's cause:
http://ChristianFriendshipMinistries.org
According to LaVilledesCayes, there are lots of victims, damaged homes and businesses. Here is the toll of Matthew in this region.
Les Cayes - Les Cayes
1 mort - 1 dead
3 Eglises endommagées - 3 damaged churches
Le Circuit de l’EDH est détruit à 95% - EDH electric circuit is destroyed at 95%
La Cote Sud (Port Salut – Tiburon) injoignable - Port-Salut and Tiburon are cut off. No access by road or by telephone
Pas d’accès routier pas d’accès téléphoniques
Saint Louis du Sud - Saint Louis du Sud
11 Eglises endommagées - 11 damaged churches
3 Eglises Détruites - 3 destroyed churches
9 Ecoles endommagées - 9 damaged schools
6 Ecoles Détruites - 9 destroyed schools
167 Maisons endommagées - 167 damaged homes
17 détruites - 17 destroyed
6295 Personnes dans les abris provisoires - 6295 people in temporary shelters
2714 Adultes - 2714 adults
71 femmes enceintes - 71 pregnant women
3510 enfants - 3510 children
14 blessés - 14 injured
Le système d’Adduction d’eau potable détruit - The system of potable water is destroyed
Ile a vache - Ile a Vache
268 personnes en abri provisoire - 268 people in temporary shelters
Presque toutes les maisons situées sur le littoral sont détruites. - All the homes located on the coast are destroyed
Cavaillon - Cavaillon
4 morts 4 disparus - 4 dead and 4 disappeared
Aquin - Aquin
2 mort - 2 dead
